Arkansas Blog

Job cuts exceed 100,000 for the week
U.S. job losses continued to mount this week, with Pfizer, Caterpillar and Boeing reporting massive reductions.

"Not everyone agrees that job losses will continue at their current pace. Robert Brusca, chief economist at Fact and Opinion Economics, said that "when the pace of the loss is this severe, the period of severity isn't very long." He said companies might be overzealous in reporting their eliminations, lessening the need for further cuts down the road.

While opinions differ about the severity of cuts, nobody's talking about job growth for the foreseeable future.

"There's no reason to anticipate a hiring frenzy any time soon," said Rich Yamarone, director of economic research at Argus Research, in an email to CNNMoney.com. "Labor usually accounts for about 75% of a company's costs, and if the outlook remains bleak, they slash jobs. There is no reason to believe this trend will stop any time soon."

It's not a recession until you are the one that gets the pink slip! Warning signs you could soon get a pink slip [CLICKY]

Recession? What recession? Do the clicky

'What was the first car to reach 100 MPH?

On July 21, 1904 in Ostend, Belgium Louis Rigolly stepped into his Gobron-Brillié ready to drive down the Ostend-Newport road.

This was no ordinary drive however, as Louis Rigolly pushed his 15-liter Gobron-Brillié to an unheard of 103.56 MPH or 166.66 kilometers per hour making the Gobron-Brillié the world's first car to reach 100 MPH and Louis Rigolly the first driver to do so." [CLICKY]

Does anyone know about the small plots of garden space you can rent here in Pulaski County? Seems like it's somewhere out Number 10 West. I haven't had a vegetable garden in 3 years since we moved here...too much shade. I guess I could dig up the front lawn, but the neighbors might not appreciate that.

Springdale was fortunate today with 50-60 deg weather.

My section of town was all abuzz with chainsaws whining all day.

Many thanks to PIKE Electric from OKLA for coming to our rescue.

Finally, several days after the damage was done the cable company starts making rounds.

.

Hugh:

Contact PuCo Judge Villines office. The plots are out near 2 Rivers Park on County Farm Road. The plots are hard to get, though.

Hugh Mann - You are right, the gardening spaces are out at Two Rivers Park, a short ways off Hwy 10. The spaces are 50'X25' each. If I remember right, it used to be $50 a year to rent a space, but that was a few years back, so it may have went up a little since then. The soil is good and free well water is available. There used to also be free mulch available.

Address: 6722 Two Rivers Park Drive

Phone: 501-868-9816.

I think the office is only manned for one or two days a week and only during certain times of the year, so it may take a while to get ahold of someone.

Good luck.

Hugh--I found this information:

A 1000-acre tract co-owned by the City of Little Rock and Pulaski County at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Maumelle Rivers. Offers recreational uses such as walking, bicycling, horseback riding and family activities. The city-owned area includes approximately 450 acres of mostly wooded wetlands area, and the county-owned area includes approximately 550 acres of open fields. Both the city and county have developed trail systems; county-owned area includes the Garden Center at which county residents can rent garden tracts. About 300 residents take advantage of the gardening opportunities.

Here is the contact information for the Garden Center:

Pulaski County Garden Center
6722 Two Rivers Park Dr
Little Rock, AR
(501) 868-9816

All I want for the information is a small share of your homegrown tomatoes ! :-)

From the time of the Roman Empire (at least, if not before) the oligarchical leadership, who have been in control, have known about BREAD & CIRCUSES. Bread and Circus refers to the concept that IF the masses of people are given entertainment and food staples, THEN they are easy to control.

I stumbled across this article on the CCRRR Bread and Circus and found it interesting. Has the U.S. voting population totally descended into a mob to be controlled by "free" bread and entertainment? Can Boehner and McConnell with the frenzy feeding pundits convince the U.S. Public that Santa Cluas is coming again???

Time will tell, but it is a good read. CLick

"I guess I could dig up the front lawn, but the neighbors might not appreciate that. "

I'm shocked someone in this town gives a darn what their neighbors think. My neighbors sure don't. I've got one with a huge trashpile in his backyard, and a couple more with dogs that bark 24/7. I was beginning to think there were no considerate people here.

Great article, Doc! I made it to the end before I realized it was written by Thom Hartmann, author of an excellent book called Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight.

Actually, Hugh,, there is someone who lives on Pine Valley that did that last spring/summer. They had a pretty good crop growing in their front yard. I bet they do it this year, too.

I think I am going to turn the empty lot next to me into a veggie garden this spring with the help of some friends.

Thanks for all the garden info, everyone. Wow...50' x 25'...that's way more than I can handle. The garden at my old house was about 16' x 50' and it got away from me some summers.

I have a friend (who will probably read this!) who might be interested.

cammacklife, I remember a house on Hillwood that had a garden last year. (I live very close.) I loved the garden, but one of the neighbors on my street made a disparaging remark about it. If the economy keeps spiraling the zoysia in my lawn will quickly turn to tomatoes, corn, purple hulls, etc.

I ain't skeert of being poor. I already know how!

Cammack, I think I know the house on Pine Valley. He raises a mess of purple hulls!

Hugh:

The Capitol View/Stifft Station neighborhoods have plots. I don't know if you have to live there to get them.

Just got back from the Rave, and Slumdog Millionaire and The Reader are both outstanding, both deserving of their Best Pic noms. I go with Slumdog Millionaire overall. Simply genius moving making by Danny Boyle.
Kate Winslet easily for best actress, tho.

Some people are just plain pure dee old lucky stiffs!!!

Click on Cato

". . . The other thing to consider here is exactly how one "respects" the presidency. For Card and others who served with Bush, it's about choice of clothing. For those who serve with Obama, it's about honoring institutional limits and the rule of law. . . ."

Click for the whole article about Andrew Card's comment to Michael Medved on how Obama is "insufficiently respectful of the Presidency.

". . . The average tax rate paid by the richest 400 Americans fell by a third to 17.2 percent through the first six years of the Bush administration and their average income doubled to $263.3 million, new IRS data show. . . ."

How did you do under Bush's tender administration of the economy? Click for the article

Doc--I saw a news story earlier this week where they were talking about a relaxed dress code in the Oval Office. It even showed a clip of Bush saying wearing a suit in the Oval Office was a sign of respect for the office of president.

My thought at the time was that wearing a suit was the only way Bush showed respect of the office. He sure didn't show respect for the constitution. I even made a similar comment to a friend yesterday.

Thanks for the link

I don't care if Obama goes to work in his underwear. I want my president to right the wrongs of the last 8 years.

Oops, Hugh, you are right. The garden was on Hillwood. I called it Pine Vally by mistake. I always thought it was a great use of their yard to have it. It was a nice, sunny spot.

That house is also near some people who have a teardrop camper, and I really like the concept of them.

I thought we might be thinking of the same place. It was a really nice garden. If I'm not mistaken they had some heirloom tomatoes--not just your run-of-the-mill hybrids. Nice bean poles and other interesting visual elements, too.

Hugh, you can come and use my yard anytime! Front yard gets morning sun, backyard gets afternoon.

That sounds dandy, historian. We get home grown tomatoes and I piss off YOUR neighbors instead of mine!

Hugh, Hugh, Hugh, you need an attitude adjustment. It's fun to piss off your neighbors, then watch them sidle up to your fence to admire (and admire and admire) those fantastic tomatoes. Now we all know that there is more than a little element of hint, hint in that admiration. If ya wanna be nice, you might actually offer them one, but only one, so they can taste what they're missing.
As someone said the other day, I'm so mean.
Too big a plot at the county farm? Ask that friend to go halfsies with you. Then you can blame him for the mess and show your fellow gardeners what a nice guy you are helping your friend keep it tended when it really gets out of hand.

Oh, and the hubbub about dressing properly in the White House? Anyone remember the group of cheerleaders (I think) who were invited to the White House? Some of them embarrassed themselves (so said the media and I now wonder where that tidbit came from) by wearing thongs.
(Down boys!)
Dressy rhinestone thongs. On their feet. And the president had to endure the shame of being photographed with these scandalous young ladies.
Hrumph. You'd'a thought it was the other kinda thong . . .
I dunno. Maybe that strap between the toes is sexy -- if you're thinkin' about the other kind of thong at the time.
Mr. President, feel free to take your coat off any time. Maybe even loosen your tie. (Never could figure out why men wear those things. Especially not after I fought with a scarf for a while. Of course, I can't figure out why we women have to wear panty hose to be properly dressed either.)

Hugh:

If I do decide to till the empty lot next to me for a veggie garden, I will let you know. It's in the planning stages with a couple of friends right now.

I'll be right here, CL. Five minutes away sounds pretty doable.