Arkansas Blog

Apologies not called for....., that 8 week old darling must come first...., hope he/she
grows up to be a Liberal, that will be the greatest gift you can give to the munchkin.

What kind of an excuse is that?!

Oh...hang on, gotta put the kiddo down...waaaay past his bedtime...be right back...

Here's how the spineless bastards in the U.S. Senate voted to condemn the MoveOn ad.

Of course, our little Mark and Miss Blanche marched in lockstep with the rest of the facists.
bluename.

Can you believe Bush said he heard that Saddam Hussein killed the Mandelas. Last time I heard, Nelson Mandela and his wife were still alive. Where was Condi to save him from this blunder?

"I heard somebody say, Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas," Bush, who has a reputation for verbal faux pas, said in a press conference in Washington on Thursday. <<

yea, well I think he thought maybe Saddam gassed the nation of Mandela when he killed all the Kurds.

You never know what may come out of the mouth of a drunk.
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i loved what the prez of mexico said about bush in his book. first he said he couldn't believe he was president of anything. then he said he was the cockiest person he had ever met. after that he called him a windshield cowboy. down there that is somebody that wears a hat but is scared of horses. evidently bush got close to one of his horses and backed off. the mexican president said a horse person can tell when someone is scared of horses. remember that bush has no horses on his so called ranch and 5 cows and i believe they actually are rented. i remember the will farrell skit acting bush being scared of horses, funniest thing i ever saw.

Lee Iococca [remember him?] is steaming mad. Click on Cato

man cato that is an excellent article. i wish it had broader circulation.

"Markos Moulitsas, my favorite national political blogger and founder of the Daily Kos, is coming to Fayetteville on October 24th, speaking up on the UA campus at 7:00 p.m. in the J.B Hunt Building, across Dickson Street from the Greek Theater. It is free and open to the public."
Iconoclast

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Well all I can say, other than marking my calendar, is I hope J.B. does roll over too many times in his grave or even rise from it. Folks, I think this is progress. Should be a large crowd.

Is Max still thinking the AT blog regulars might get together and quaff a few somewhere?

Maybe we should wait till after football season. I like eLwood, Curious and BigFan too much to get into a Nutt discussion with them.

Anybody heard?

Well, TAP, since you left my name off your list I hain't a-coming.

"...There's an 8-week-old in the house."

When there's a baby around everything else ceases...as it should be. Congratulations!

It's no surprise that monkeyboy is all show, no substance. I still don't understand how this longtime northeastern country club family was able to sell itself as 'real' Texans...guess Rove had predecessors.

Iococca stuff...I've sadly decided that if the entire sane segment of the country decided King George was leading the world over a cliff, nothing would change. The right-wing, neocon minority has such a death grip on EVERYTHING that an un-stolen presidential election is our only hope...and it'll still be uphill. (It's not like we can count on the Democrats to actually help us take back our country.)

(It's not like we can count on the Democrats to actually help us take back our country.)
by: zelda

You are right on, zelda!!!

"We've seen this before. This is a patented right-wing ploy. They grab on to a random event, inflate it into a national scandal, intimidate the media, and chuckle as Democrats fall for it. The Republican attack squad in 2004 turned a butchered joke by Sen. John Kerry into a measure of Democratic hatred of the military, and the entire Democratic establishment turned on Kerry. They've libeled Moveon for years because one of thousands of participants in a 30-second ad campaign contest submitted an entry comparing Bush to Hitler. Now, they get 22 Democrats in the Senate and the supposedly independent Republican moderates to line up and waste time passing a resolution condemning Moveon for its newspaper ad. They do this only to prove one thing - that Democrats are too spineless to stand up even for their allies. That they will cut and run at the first sign of fire." --Robert L. Borosage

LINK--blue bejeeus

Enjoy the fertile years Jennifer Barnett Reed, they pass in a hurry. I'm catching myself being a little disappointed that my oldest daughter has heeded our birth control advice so well. I want her to fully enjoy her young adult life....but man.....where is that grand baby we need so very badly?

You know, back in the 70s when I was a Republican it used to make me so damn mad when first, J. William Fulbright and then Dale Bumpers would sit up in DC and ignore the wishes of the people of Arkansas by voting based on their personal convictions, implying they knew better than us what should be done. I remember nearly stroking out when Bumpers voted to give away the Panama Canal. Now that 30 years have passed, I guess he was right...America hasn't been hurt at all by not owning the Canal.

But none of that helps me understand what drives Lincoln and Pryor to vote the way they do. While the world burns at the end of the America blowtorch, Lincoln worries about Endangered Species. Pro-war, pro-torture Bush enabler, Mark Pryor sends home a little pork, but is apparently OK with Cheney's attempts at world domination. Where are the Lincoln-Pryor proposals to end the war? How can we make them explain their positions? Why were they so dumb as to fall for the Republican trick and vote to show support for the lying General Petraeus?

Why do our 2 well educated Senators vote like outhouse using, snake-handling rubes from the sticks? Do they do it because they are that dumb? Or because they think we're that dumb and thats the way we want them to vote? Either way just pisses me off to no end. Arkansas is never going to get off the Joke State list with 2 legislators like this. Throw in Boozman and we're lucky to be thought of as being as advanced as a Banana Republic.

There is no good reason to send Pryor back to DC next year. A nice suit and tons of money from special interest groups shouldn't be reason enough to inflict another Pryor term on America. Let him drift off and be lead council to a Neo-con Therapy Clinic or something. Give him the privacy he needs to explore his feminine side with a nice older Republican authority figure. His tortured psyche is screaming for help.

We can return Blanche to the farm in 2010 and in between milking cows and growing rice, she can take her place in the Wal-Mart hierarchy and make the millions she craves. Out of nearly 3 million Arkansans, we can choose a good woman who understands strong actions are needed in times of national crises and aims higher in order to reach the goals set forth by our Founding Fathers. Arkansas can produce the next Nancy Pelosi, or Barbara Jordan. We're 49th because we continually send 49th level people to Congress. It's high time we break the chain.

Look, I did "research" on this post, only to have it buried in the archives. So I'm reposting it here.

Look at a map of the interstate system in this state. All corners of the state have an interstate--well, almost all. Which part of "west central Arkansas" is missing a freeway? Ft. Smith? Are you including Hot Springs (with their big new bypass)? Russelville?

Here's a list, culled from a list of the 50 largest cities in Arkansas, of those without an interstate, or at least a four-lane (like 67-167). So, if you're counting Hot Springs, then west-central Arkansas has exactly three cities on the list--and note that Greenwood is just about 10 miles from an interstate. Down south, we've got El Dorado, Magnolia, Warren, Monticello, Stuttgart, and West Helena, the first four of which are going to be serviced by I-69. That doesn't even mention McGehee, where the bridge is going to cross the river. So if you're going by population, I guess a freeway down here makes better sence than one through Mena and Waldron. Besides, that crooked highway over there is part of the charm of the area. And we sure got screwed on charm down here.

Jonesboro--55515
Hot Springs--35750
Paragould--22017
El Dorado--21530
Camden--13154
Harrison--12152
Mountain Home--10112
Magnolia--10858
Siloam Springs--10843
Stuttgart--9745
Batesville--9445
Monticello--9146
West Helena--8689
Wynne--8615
Hot Springs Village--8397
Greenwood--7112
Trumann--6889
Paragould--6518
Warren--6442

we do need to have a group meeting sometime. there has been a small meeting at the corner of markam and cumberland on sundays with the enough group. all of the group are bloggers and have become a group of tough, feisty, smiling, young and middle aged protesters who i do believe are totally responsible for the resignation of gonzales and pulling out of the 30,00 from iraq. these are happening every sunday all over the country at noon in many cities and we have people stop by and tell us that that they have seen them in many places. it feels good to be part of something like that. it also feels good when somebody stops and thanks you for doing what we are doing, which happens several times more than once a sunday. actually it is kind of fun when a rethuglican gives us the finger, which happens less and less and they always do it driving away so you can't see their face. the power of the people is strong. we talk, we pass along news, a couple of people bring their kids and meg always has sippie cups of apple juice for them, we listen to rousing music and make the world safer for all. more of you should join us, we neeld help and you would have a good time. winnie always has great signs ready for you so just show up at noon, it's fun. come be a part of something important. meg got it started now lets help her make it bigger.

What a week in American politics we have had.. Especially watching the senate cling to war and wanton killing.. So many senate votes its been hard to keep up.. But several things have been made crystal clear.. Both of our senators failed to grasp the manipulation of the Rove machine and joined the swift boat mentality by voting against everything from the first amendment to the truth about Betrayal. The Democrats in the senate have between 25 and 28 senators who actually get it. MoveOn raised 500k more that afternoon than any other day total this year.. We will not be silenced!

Pryor changed his voting record around in one good way.. he voted to restore Habeas Corpus. It's a good thing yes, but, something no senator who cares about the constitution or their oath of office should have ever voted away to begin with. As vitally important as it is that Habeas be restored..one should never forget how absurd it is we have to work so hard to get back the one civil liberty with nearly 900 yrs precedence and the only liberty considered so important by the authors it was written into the body of the constitution.

We had 46/47 Democrats vote towards reducing/ending this nightmare in Iraq.. But Pryor who evidently cannot get enough neo fascist blood lust was among only two D's (Nelson NE and Pryor) who stayed in lock-step with Lieberman and most Republicans in keeping our soldiers hostage in Iraq.

The mercenaries such as Blackwater are killing at random and selling weapons to the very people in Iraq who are shooting at our troops the most. Blackwater was forced to hide in the green Zone this week while the Iraqi government did their best to have them evicted from the country. Numbers came out because of all of this with suggestions that as much as 40 cents on every dollar spent goes through Blackwater and as many as 180,000 contractors/mercenaries are in Iraq.. Considerably more than actual soldiers. Mercenaries are not accountable to Iraqi or US laws. They answer to no one and reports of our soldiers actually taking shoot to kill orders from Blackwater...not their commanding officers.

This is beyond madness no matter where one stands on the occupation continued or not. If one has hope one must have hope in the troops and certain military standards...rules of conduct. Iraqis cannot tell the mercenaries apart from our soldiers therefore all are considered to be as bad as Blackwater.. (and several other mercenary contracting companies)

I don't care who runs against Mark Pryor even if it's Asa.. I will send a small contribution and put a sign in my yard for Asa that says Vote for Asa because he is not in my party! If Arkansas Democrats can't face the facts about Mark, nor be absolutely horrified by his actions, so be it, but I will not be fooled or blinded by party loyalty to the point of coddling someone who leans so far towards fascism that I can't think of a better word to use in comparison.

NPR reports that "at this hour" former President Fujimori of Peru is due to arrive in Lima to face charges of crimes against humanity, including killings. What do you think of that, soon-to-be-former President Bush? Huh?

>>Maybe we should wait till after football season. I like eLwood, Curious and BigFan too much to get into a Nutt discussion with them.<<

TAP, you need not worry talking to me about Nutt. I could care less. I post about him occasionally just for something to do, after I've read the gut of newspapers and blogs about things that matter. I've been in Fayetteville-Springdale since 69 and attended 3 football games. To me the entire football-coach-AD thing is a big waste of resource and a rather expensive form of state-wide entertainment or identity. I would love to see the Razorbacks play an in-state rivalry but I realize it's a big money loser for the Fayetteville folks so it ain't gonna happen.

Personally Arkansas needs a statewide voters-citizens organization with someone who can monitor what our locals are doing to keep us in 49th ranking in the U.S., incomes low, and expectations low.
Ark Times blog is about the only place where a wee bit of that is happening now. I would work as much as my failing lungs and limited IT skills allow to set up an Ark moveOn type organization wherein people could be informed about how their locals are performing and about how issues actually effect them. AT is the only place that is happening.

At my name is an astonishing meeting/hearing of the Democratic Policy Committee this week... Discussing the mercenary situation and others.. It's a two hour meeting but well worth listening to any portion possible.

Good show Eureka! I really don't enjoy being ugly about things, but I've spent 2 days thinking about this Blackwater USA thing. Though they are under the control of no one, to the rest of the world they represent America. Last thing we need in these troubled times is a super-secret group of mercenaries doing God knows what in our name.

The President of the Iraqi puppet government told Blackwater USA to GIT! What a joke! What a lie...that there is any other government in Iraq other than the USA. They don't wipe their asses without orders from Washington. If you and I know that.....the Iraqi people sure as hell know it.

So....if I was a nice little Iraqi man, I shoot and blow up every Blackwater USA mercenary I could find. Not only has Blackwater USA been guilty in the past of killing innocent Iraqis, but by returning to "work" a couple of days ago, Blackwater USA and the White House just told the Iraqi people to get FK'ed.

What would we do if a super-secret band of hired killers from Spain showed up in Arkansas, running our cars off the road and shooting innocent people when they felt like it. Then imagine Bush (ha) or Beebe telling them to get the hell out of our state after they shot down 20 something innocent Arkansans. What would we do if they just ignored everything and continued to drive down our streets. Even us lazy Americans would dig out the squirrel gun and start mowing them down whenever we could.

I won't be surprised if the Iraqi people bow up and start killing droves of Blackwater USA mercenaries. Who would blame them? The State of Arkansas is trying hard to kill that Noon feller because he's a murderer......what's the difference between him and Blackwater USA? I'd feel a whole lot better if Blackwater USA would follow Halliburton's lead and move their secret headquarters to Dubai. America ain't so beautiful any more.

Doctors and dentists not supporting the troops:

Letter from Springdale solider in Iraq:
"My son and wife have to have the Tricare insurance [the military healthcare plan] for now, which would be OK, but no doctor or dentist except for the Community Clinic in Springdale will take it. Springdale is where I live."

(The Community Clinic is a volunteer, church supported limited care local medical clinic.)

"With my wife working and my son in school, they do not have the time to sit in line all day to see them, since there is no getting an appointment. It is first come, first serve. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that they take it, but what I don't understand is that all the doctors, dentists, and even hospitals say they support the troops and their families, but they won't even accept the insurance that the military provides them."

eLwood, I have been thinking a lot about what you mentioned to TAP. We have got to sort out a way to properly inform fellow AR citizens. I did notice on MoveOn's web site they have over 10 thousand AR members. Perhaps contacting MoveOn for a collaboration might be an angle worth exploring.

"And we sure got screwed on charm down here."--Arch

LOL. You got that right but you do have healthy mosquitoes.

Let me ask you this. Not knowing where you live, how far do you have to drive to hit a four lane highway? If we head north, we drive 82 miles (Ft. Smith), If we drive south, 98 miles (to Texarkana), if we drive east, 83 miles to Hot Springs and if we drive west, 85 miles to McAllister, Okla. Now, top that.

I'm one member of MoveOn....
and what would Arkies do if a band of super-secret killers showed up in our streets from
Spain????
NOTHING.....I truly believe NOTHING.....march off to the box-cars like zombies....
If the folks haven't gotten a clue by now I really believe it is too late.
My dau-in-law is still moaning over Bill teaching kids how to have oral sex, when did kids get
to be so dumb?? Damn I didn't need a president to teach me about sex, straight, oral,
missionary or any other kind.

Eureka, the people who began MoveOn were all IT specialist before they became political activists. It would take some bucks to hire the techies to do what is necessary. I don't have the skill. Building the list is a big chore. I'm investigating how expensive voter registration records would be. It would need to be statewide but we both know that NWA and Central Ark would be the area of major players. But such lists would need to be statewide because I think there must be some unrest all over. I recall Pine Bluff as the decisive area in defeating Asa! and it was done with one, local, progressive issue, not a candidate but one issue got the voter turnout.
I have one lead for financing which I haven't explored.

Let's have lunch soon, jazzy!

>>My dau-in-law is still moaning over Bill teaching kids how to have oral sex, when did kids get
to be so dumb??<<
jazzy

Inform your daughter in law that "informing kids" was done by Kenneth Starr and staff. They found it politically and morally acceptable to put a public figure's sex life on graphic display. Ask her why it was on the news anyway? Inform her that TV Networks have a choice regarding what to report. It was pervert Starr who put the entire Monica testimony on the internet without restrictions or warnings.

Explain to your daughter in law that Starr and gang were picking her pocket, then and for the future privately, while dangling the Monica bj business out for her to see and gawk over.

Bill taught them nothing. The Rightwing sponsored and produced the entire episode. She needs to understand that.
.

I'm with zonker, even if it's only on the afternoons when my daughter and I get out of church early enough to get out to Markham and Cumberland. Nice as it is to put up blog comments and so on, there's something both enjoyable and satisfying about getting out onto the street with a group of people and be seen and heard. I tell my daughter, "We're going to go hang out on the street corner downtown tomorrow after church," and she's all happy! You will be, too.

Love to DBI, I'll wait for your call.

well kiddies on my name is another goddie from tomorrows post. they have been keeping records of whatever they can find about travelers. your books, your bed preferences, everything stupid they can find when they search you at the damn airport. now of course that includes me because i have to be hand searched every time because of my heart defibrilator which causes an alarm and my luggage is always searched. locks have been cut enough that i have stopped putting them on the luggage. it is getting very stupid. these records go to other records , such as libraries they can be traced to. i hope they enjoy seeing the novels i read, most are trashy detective or civil war histories. i have been reading a lot of books of strange essays that they will find no connection to anything but they will figure my politics are socialist and i enjoy wierd humor such as sarah vowell or roy blount jr who nobody can classify. big brother is getting bigger by the day.

i too wish we had a statewide move on type group, the geography would be tough especially with our highways but i will sign up and i agree that so far this is the best start.

Fire Nutt

Ditto on Sanford's sentiment........Fire Nutt. Fire him right now, tonight, without delay.

I know virtually nothing about football and I could anticipate the plays that the rocket scientist called.

Poor Darren McFaddin is without doubt the most talented football player in America and the egomaniac Nutt, and his talented play calling is going to prevent him from attaining the Heisman award.

Seriously, what is the address and phone number to demand that Nutt be fired?

I put it elsewhere awready....

Agreed....

Fire Nutt.

D McFadden and the rest of his hardworking teammates deserve better.

And I will be the first in-sensitive Nutt hater to ask this question.

Why was Danny Nutt in the coaches' box with a head-set on during the game tonight?

I thought he was retired and had even said he wouldn't be able to attend games due to the stress.

On the positive side.....this must mean he has greatly improved...

Fire Nutt.

1 - 5 in the last six games. Great offensive minded coach like this. So long, Houston. Have fun at your next job at Valley High.

but at least to me casey dick did much better. the recievers played the ablsolute worst game possible. casey hit them in the hands all night and they still could not catch them. it is also hard to beat a team when the defense lets them have 7-12 yards any time they want. the defense looked terrible. darrell and felix played tremendous. they are 2 of the most special i have ever seen and to be able to see them even under these circumstances is a great opportunity. now do something about winning games.

How about starting a Text Message petition drive to fire nutt...who has the TM address of that Teevee gal pal of HDN...

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....some of you may well enjoy this Ken Burns series that begins Sunday. Click on Cato

Fire Nutt. Pitiful Just Pitiful. Poor 5 D Mc ... he and Jones deserve so much better.

Take a detour tomorrow after Church and go look at the Central High fortress that went up today around the high school. The new baby will enjoy the ride around town...mine always slept during car rides.
You have never seen so many paint brushes moving so fast, so many trucks from The Good Earth -- most expensive landscapers in town --- covered every bare inch and stumps with sod, mulch and flowers on Friday, finished today and --- on the other side of the school, the poor people who are NOT in the path of motorcades and dignitaries --- getting left out...as usual.
Oh well, it will look good for the cameras.

Loved the Times issue this week...just damn fine reporting.

Yep, another devastating loss for the Hogs. However, my self-esteem remains intact. Sunday will arrive in a little over an hour, right on schedule. Life goes on!

Fire Nutt -- 500 yards of total offense shows how predictable and ineffective his offense is!!

And hire Malzahn! His offense looked terrific in that 62-21 loss to the Sooners.

Why stop at firing the coaches. Dissolve the whole athletics department and get back to educating our little whippers for the good of their future.

Hey Max; I'll give you a hundred bucks for the real name of blog poster "Dinner at Does." It can be our little secret. I'm not planning to do anything to him or her.

I just want to know if my doctor, lawyer, judge, police officer, nurse, banker, community church leader, mayor, kids' teacher, airline pilot or street sweeper is the one who posted the "Quit Your Bitchin' Nigger" song in the Jena thread. It could make a world of difference to me or my kids.

Zonker and eLwood,
There may not be a Move-On group here, but with the AT, the Iconoclast, Steve Harrelson's blog, Ralph Desmarais' Enviro review and sometimes Lyncho, some of the machinations in the state are covered. The overly-tame AETN Arkansas Week (also available online) occasionally provides some untangling of the hidden connections.

It's always been amazing how few regular people (not lobbyists or public officials) attend legislative committee meetings, even though the agendas are posted. You'd then realize that the reporters don't really cover the real issues.

If people are too "busy" to use these resources, they' be too busy to participate in yet another effort - an Arkansas Move-On. Look at how few show up at the Sunday demos at the River Market. If people say they are too busy to go to community meetings in the evenings, it's really because they can't figure out how to program their VCRs. I've gone to candidate forums where 6 of us show up, including the candidates. Of course when you do go to meetings of activist groups, you see all of the same people at each, complaining about how much needs to be done, they're each over-extended, and asking where are all of the folks who signed up to be on the mailing list.

I was hoping that Arkansas First Congress would be a unifying element in this fractured group of groups, but that does not seem to be happening. Rather than creating yet another group, we need to find a way for all of them to share resources, even if it means dissolving or merging some of them.

Greetings from a pub in Westport, ireland, on the Bay of Clew. Sadly, the \nternet service is virtually worthless. \i can't access blog controls. \i can't read the \ny Times. But \i can open the Arkansas Times webpage. \how about that.

Re somebody's advice that I visit the Cliffs of \moher. I did. Stunning. Also stunning was how I ruptured my front tire in the parking lot, two hours after deplaning in Shannon. overcompensating for the new means of driving, I verged to far left and impaled the tire on a curb. John Considine, mobile tire shoppe, soon had me driving again with a new tire, and less 110 Euro. I've only hit one more curb so far, but the tire survived.

I gather that the \hogs lost to \kentucky. Oh, my, as somebody once said.

Call it divine intervention or whatever, but my computer's sound system would not play the Quit Your Bitchin' (or whatever it was) video. I consider that to be good fortune, since the thing apparently has no redeeming qualities anyway.

And then there are some who have no idea what the score was....click on Cato

Cato--I've driven that highway. I don't doubt that a four-lane right down the path of 71 makes good sense. I'm just saying that you shouldn't begrudge those of us down in the Delta our highway, either. It's not a boondoggle, the Delta's not empty (yet), and we've got a bit of hope for industry and so forth. Not only are the big companies not coming to Mena, but I'm pretty sure the folks over there like it that way.

Arch, I'm not begrudging, no more than I begrudge NW Arkansas or Hot Springs getting highway money. They have needed it badly. I am just saying the only purpose the new road construction in SE Arkansas would serve is to allow those people to get out faster. I read today's Dem/Gazette front page article about the projection group study showing increasing decline in population in that area.

"Not only are the big companies not coming to Mena, but I'm pretty sure the folks over there like it that way.'

Not really. This area has approached many companies looking to expand and those that show interest immediately drop out when they ask us the question, "How far are you from the nearest Interstate?" When we hear that we know our goose is cooked. But we are gaining people but it's mostly folks moving in from Calif., Florida, Texas, Louisiana and.............Illinois.

Great link, Eureka! Thanks!

When it rains it pours.....'

Michael Smith of the Arkansas Razorbacks football team was arrested for forgery today.

Follow the link...

What is it with these young men, anyway? The problem is pervasive, and is happening all over America. Just one nearby example:

Austin American-Statesman
August 3, 2007

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Texas football defensive tackle Andre Jones in connection to an alleged robbery which landed former Longhorn safety Robert Joseph in jail last week. Jones, a freshman, will be charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony, according to the Austin Police Department. Jones is the fourth UT football player to face criminal charges this summer.

Well, HDN and his people have been impersonating coaches for fiscal gain and that's a crime, is it not?