Arkansas Blog

Just now, from AmericaBlog:
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Unbelievable. Sarah Palin finished her closing remarks by quoting Ronald Reagan:

"It was Ronald Reagan who said that freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don't pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we're going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children's children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free."

When did he say this? It was on a recording he made for Operation Coffeecup - a campaign organized by the American Medical Association to block the passage of Medicare. Doctors' wives were supposed to organize coffee klatches for patients, where they would play the Reagan recording, which declared that Medicare would lead us to totalitarianism.You couldn't make this stuff up.

Oops, myself. Didn't notice post on same topic just below. But you can never get enough of Sarah Palin.

Just dined tonight at Za Za's... pleasantly, wonderfully surprised. Too full to really write a great review right now, but will say that the Feta, Potato and Rosemary pizza was about as delightful as any pizza come foccacia I've tried in a long time. And the Bananas Foster gelato was a great top for the evening.

Been a lot of good places lately -- finally took up Serge's suggestion and dined at the New Green Mill Cafe, revisited Alley Oops, and splurged on Cheeburger Cheeburger (mighty fine shakes and malts, my friends). But by far my happiest culinary moment lately has been revisiting the Pancake Shop in Hot Springs. Boy, I have some writing to do -- once I sleep off this food coma, that is.

But you can never get enough of Sarah Palin.<<

Wanna bet.

I applied at HP the other night, got a call the next day, did an impromptu tele interview, and was told that since I graduated college 7 years ago, I wouldn't be eligible for that position. Apparently, they have an agreement with the state that they will hire x amount of recent grads (less than one year out of college). As a college grad, with great experience, I never dreamed it would be a struggle to earn a living wage.

I've been in AR for five years, and have had no luck landing any meaningful employment, i.e., decent wage and tolerable work conditions. Unless you're an Arkie, or you transfer here with a company, your chances are slim.

Does anyone know any specifics on what -if any- positions at HP will not require recent grads? Or, will all the non-recent-grad positions be highly-skilled, industry-specifc-experience types of job?

"And the Bananas Foster gelato was a great top for the evening." - Kat.

I agree. Fantastic. Did I need it? No. Did I enjoy every last bit? Very much so.

Whacked -

I'm sorry to hear your experience in Arkansas. It's so true. And a big reason why this state, as beautiful as it is, as wonderful as so many of the people are, still ranks at or near the bottom of virtually everything except poverty, divorce, alcoholism and crime.

"Unless you're an Arkie, or you transfer here with a company, your chances are slim."

Your accurate observation is why so many Arkansans leave "home" to make their marks (and money) in more educated, welcoming and fertile climes.

How dare somebody apply for job with 7 year old degree! Banish them to the swamps with nothing but the overalls on their backs! Sounds like some sort of discrimination to me, whacked.

Where's my old moonshine recipe? I may need to move to a dry county to make a decent living again.

Whacked. I feel for you. Here, the promise is good but the delivery smells. But don' feel so all alone because tonight's McLaughlin Report on AETN said next year's unemployment rate will hit 11%.

So, move to any of the several counties in NWA and grow weed. It's honest work son but it's hard, esp during July, Aug and early Sept when rains go away. Then there's the law to pay off so that brings us back to 'promise is good but delivery', not so much. Back during the last Republican recession and high employment many chicken farms in NWA were subsidized with a good weed crop. In fact regular chicken farmers had to hire lawyers to get the helicopters from hovering over their houses and screwing up the laying hens.

It was the weed crop that primed the pump so as Chevy dealers could stay in bidness, sheriff's wives had nice wardrobes and new cars.
Willy Nelson, bless his heart, found out about NWA back then and could not stay away.

Just keep in mind the market has changed one helluva lot but prices are way up. It's designer stuff now or so I've heard that fetches the big bucks.

There is still no crop insurance.

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Got any extra seeds, elwood? I am ready to start farming!

If you missed Countdown tonight, you should go to MSNBC and watch "worst person in the world". Tonight it was Rich Lowry from the National Review who wrote this about Sarah Palin--

"A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen. It's one of the keys to the success of, say, a Bill O'Reilly, who comes through the screen and grabs you by the throat. Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it."

Keith's reading of this drivel was hysterical as were his comments about what he called "soft-core porn". CLICK and enjoy!

Nay, kizzy, I'm just a historian now. But google white widow and I understand you can google Dr. Greenthumb garden supply house in Canada for more information. Hurry up cause I think the dollar is going to fall again. But that could just be me because when the dollar falls my gold certificates get more valuable. Dick Cheney taught me that.

Thirteen years to the day after O.J. Simpson was acquitted on double murder counts he is found guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping. He could get anywhere from 20 years to--effectively--life in prison. He's 61. They led him out of the courtroom in bracelets.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department will pay private U.S. contractors in Iraq up to $300 million over the next three years to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media in an effort to "engage and inspire" the local population to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government.

The new contracts -- awarded last week to four companies -- will expand and consolidate what the U.S. military calls . . .

Doesn't that just make you all warm and fuzzy about the surge and our progress in Iraq?
Click for the full story. . . . Any bets on whether they were no bid contracts or whether one of the contractors is Halliburton (KBR)?

eLwood

Many of my neighbors at my weekend place near the Buffalo River report that nat'l guard helicopters aren't flying much this year because of the wet season we have had all the way up to pot harvest time.

The way to fly around and find pot fields was during a hot dry July and August look for remote areas that were lush with growth. If the whole county was brown crisp dry and a remote spot is thriving then someone must b e watering it.

Bingo!

Sheriff has deputies bring it in and burn it for the local paper and now sheriff has pictures for re-election "hard on drug crime" campaign.

Tossed between commenting on the weed string(hydoponic tear in my eye) or the HP hiring scoop?

Max and Ark Times, any chance you folks can do your magic and sniff around to see if stuffed money pockets Hardin and UCA really cut one heckuva deal for the Conway gang?.............sorry, just had a flashback combined with munchie attack. Heading to Zas Zas to extend the buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That's about the same news I've heard Citizen 1. Difficult for spectrographs to distinguish the green shades with so much lush vegetation. I was told the smart guys never plant a patch to begin with.

Boy! The MSTM is generally mute about this: Clicky