Arkansas Blog

so, I tried to vote in the online poll, but was rebuked. I also tried to make my internet voice heard, but was rebuked again. WTF?

Rebuked? Who rebuked you, Alejandro, and what did they say?

I'm wondering what's become of our uber conservatives?

Surely the big tent didn't shrink, did it. They are so entertaining and sometimes
informative in nefarious ways.

For dog lovers. About 40 seconds long. Do the clicky

I want to preface this rant with 3 important points....

1) I know the killer of the "abortion'' doctor does not represent all fundamentalists and those associated with the Religious Right.

2) I know all people who hate homosexuals and think they're not deserving of basic human rights aren't necessarily fundamentalists and associated with the Religious Right.

3) I know I went on a 10-mile bike ride with WBW in the heat of the day, drank a six-pack, and might be speaking out of my ass...

With that said:

These "American born'' terrorists are socialized by the Religious Right. They are given safe haven and lauded by the Religious Right. These people think they're doing what is "right'' because of the Christian Right. They think they're going to "heaven'' because of these heinous-filled actions, as told by the Christian Right.

As a gay woman who is pro-choice, I think the Taliban would be on par with the Christian Right. Isn't their justification to an end the same? Both are seeking "heaven.''

This doctor killing might be the act of a crazy loner. However, he'll be carrying his "bible'' and will be defended by the "church'' at his trial.

This group scares me to no end. I guess it's because they're doing it in the name of "God'' and feel "justified.'' What's the difference in "Allah'' and crashing two planes in the World Trade Center?

If only all the repug men would do this..........

Oh, I dream, no backbone....not even to serve in military.....

do the clicky thingy

Ah, sistertoldja, you're reminding me of a joke I wrote, years ago:

Q: What's the difference between a Christian who kills a thousand people for God in the belief he'll go to heaven and a Muslim who kills a thousand people for Allah in the belief he'll go to paradise?

A: I don't know.

Q: Me, either.

Of course, depending on what my unwitting straight man says in A: my final reply varies sometimes.

John A Ark,

That's great...what are your other replies? What's a different answer to A?

Same idea, Sistertoldja, but i have to come at it differently. It's usually not as funny when I have to work harder to get to the punchline. Of course, not everyone finds it funny in the first place. The most common variation is when the straight man/victim hesitates, and I say, "You don't know? Me, either." That happens a lot when I'm telling it to a small group, as people are shy* and don't speak up.

*except for me. Today, when a group of visitors came to church and I helped them find name tags, one of them asked me "Are you the designated extrovert?"

I love it when people make me laugh, love it more when it isn't at them, and most especially when it's at myself.

Guess I must have a missing link, or something, in my brain but I have never spent a moment
dwelling on the male prostate....with me its always been the contortions doc tells women to
twist their bodies in to play with their boobs, of course, these days I have to roll mine up
before I can feel anything......have been know to get a mirror and flashlight to check my
vajayjay......awwwwwwww all that is behind me,,,,now its prostate 24/7....that little
walnut size bugger,,,,about as good as a tonsil, appendix, gall bladder,,,,but, it is ruling my
life these days.

Very cool, Cato. I went on to watch Jesse the Jack Russell -- I left after that as I can't afford to live there, and I would!

Last Titanic survivor dies.
Click

"pulling on a balaclava to hide his face?"--doc on another string.....

Doc, tell what this historical name/location (Charge of the Light Brigade) is used for in making your point. Thanks.

Cato,

Wikipedia has an answer for that:

"A balaclava (pronounced /ˌbæləˈklɑːvə/), also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, is a form of headgear covering the whole head, exposing only the face or upper part of it, and sometimes only the eyes. The name "balaclava" comes from the town of Balaklava, near Sevastopol in Crimea (now Ukraine)."

I got a small laugh out of this part:

"British Police in Kent confiscated the War on Terror board game partly due to the inclusion of a balaclava. Police said it 'could be used to conceal someone's identity or could be used in the course of a criminal act'."

Now, tell me that isn't funny. This part is funny, too, but in a whole new way:

"Popularly, it is also for concealment purposes, may be used during the course of illegal activities by criminals (such as terrorists), and occupationally used by SWAT and Special Forces personnel."

One man's terrorist is another man's special forces, I suppose, like every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints. Terrorism as terror does 'em.

Thanks, John. I had never heard that. Talk about a hole in my education!!!!

We wore them all the time, skiing in Idaho in November and December, Cato.

I can remember the balaclava freezing to my beard and having to wait till it thawed at the lodge before a hot buttered rum or Irish coffee could be imbibed

If you'd love to go to bed mad as hell and sorry you're an American, click on my blue name and watch last Friday's Journal with Bill Moyers. It is the truth about American torture. If you think we know all there is to know about American torture...you're sadly misguided. Watching this program produces a violent feeling in me like nothing else. We CANNOT allow President Obama to sweep this under the rug. If half the Democrats in Congress must go to jail with the Bushies....so be it! We must know the truth!

When the page opens, look for the link on the right to watch the full documentary on Cheney-Bush torture. You might want a handy stomach distress bag near you.

We wore them all the time, skiing in Idaho in November and December, Cato.

I can remember the balaclava freezing to my beard and having to wait till it thawed at the lodge before a hot buttered rum or Irish coffee could be imbibed.

I guess they are predominantly a cold weather region knowledge item and the neophyte robber's best friend. Panyhose are probably too wimpy these days, even if Clint Eastwood and George Kennedy wore them in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

From now until mid-August, Arkies by the thousands (including many AT bloggers, I'm sure) will be heading to the Alabama and Florida beaches. At times in the summer, I-10 East traffic in Mobile can back up for two miles or more before squeezing into the Bay Tunnel. Want to avoid that mess? If so, do what very few out-of-towners know to do:

After entering Mobile from Hattiesburg, take I-65 NORTH for four miles before taking Exit 9 onto I-165 South. Soon thereafter, take Exit 2 off I-165 South and follow Bay Bridge Road (U.S. 90) over the big suspension bridge and past the USS Alabama battleship to your right. Follow the "To I-10 East" signs a couple miles, merge back onto the Interstate, and you're home free. Everybody else will be sitting miles away to the west waiting to enter the congested tunnel.

And do this to avoid the tunnel on the way back home: Take Exit 27 off the I-10 West Mobile Bay causeway. Turn Right onto U.S. 90 (Bay Bridge Road) and follow it until you exit Right onto I-165 North. From I-165 N, exit onto I-65 South. Then take Exit 5B (U.S. 98/Moffett Rd.). U.S. 98 West will take you back to Hattiesburg.

Even in the fall and winter when beach-bound traffic is much lower, you'll save a lot of time traversing Mobile if you take this "back roads" route. Don't tell the locals I told you about it, OK?

Elwood,

I'm a conservative AT blogger. I still read this but don't check in as much. Repub's are in such disarray I don't think there is generally much to discuss or defend. I do still believe the following things:

If I were a state senate candidate in Arkansas next cycle....or a US Senate candidate...I would run against Obama. Let's face it...he lost Arkansas by 20 points and it's not like he's more popular now. I would paint myself as a moderate, pro education, anti government bail out Repub and I would use pictures and sound bites to marry the democratic candidate to Obama.

I also believe Blanche understands this perfectly and it worries her a great deal.

If Gilbert Baker can figure this out we might have a race next year, but I'm not sure he has the stomach for a race that could be as nasty as Huckabee / Fisher. Blanche could still get a pass.

I think Obama will be a one term president. The bailout, the supreme court pick, flying air force one at tree top level over NYC.....there will be a lot to work with....and guess what...they are issues that the average voter really understands.

I would give even odds that Huckabee is right in the middle of things for the GOP nomination in 2012.

I am just astounded that Courtway is getting such a pass on the fiscal meltdown at UCA. He was there while Lou ran the whole scam yet somehow he gets to paint himself as pure as the driven snow. How is that possible?

I believe Max agrees with me on that point but he won't answer my question on why Warwick also gets such a pass. Wow. Talk about different rules compared to the Huckabee days.

I don't understand why GM will have to restructure and the UAW won't be told to do the same thing.

I don't understand all the posts here about UA athletes not doing any classroom work. I mean if they are going to cheat, could they not at least win?

I don't understand a kid being offered a free education in exchange for throwing a ball and not wanting to do more with it.

I still don't understand why Little Rock is the only city in the country that needs a six figure salary mayor and a six figure salary city manager? Can anyone help me there?

And I don't understand why both the mayor and the manager think the public school mess has nothing to do with them?

I don't understand why Arkansas has a new airplane to fly the governor around and it's never mentioned.

I don't understand why the press doesn't pay more attention to Halter. To get the lottery passed virtually by himself is pretty remarkable....and please....is Ray Thornton really the best we can do for this?

Anyway.....Elwood.....reasonable conservatives are still here. Just waiting while the dust settles and the centrists take the party back with a coherant message......

I agree about Halter. I've known Bill since grade school (St. Patrick's). Everyone, including himself, knew he was smarter than everyone else. That said, he's smarter than everyone else. His choice of Garry Hoffmann as his communications chief is brillant. Garry was my boss at the Democrat in the 80s. Bill keeps hitting home runs in my book.
He just needs to keep trying to be humble.

A darn reasonable post, StrangeTimes, darn reasonable. I disagree with a couple of things. First of all Obama, unless blown to a million pieces will have 2 full terms and go down as one of our top 3 greatest Presidents. The bailout was started by Bush and best I can tell we have no choice but to reward the very people who FK'ed our world economy. If there is a better idea, no one has come up with it. Pulling a Herbert Hoover and doing nothing will result in a Great Depression which none of us are sturdy enough to survive. No HBO and I'm a goner.

Obama's pick for the Supreme Court is spot on and will be proven so when she is confirmed with not much of a fight. So far the arguments against her are at a 3rd grade level and many Republicans aren't buying in. The low flying Air Force 1 in NYC was dumb as dirt, but not something Obama was aware of. The person responsible, the person who FK'ed up resigned, something we never saw in the Cheney administration. Case closed, apologies given. Won't happen again.

Blanche Lincoln will not draw a credible Republican opponent because she is as good as Republican as money can buy already. You can't use her Obama votes against her because there are damn near NONE. Because the Republicans got caught not fielding a candidate against our other Republican Senator Pryor, they're forced to run someone this time and it will be some geezer like Hendren or anyone else deemed expendable.

Senator Linclown will win again unless a real Democrat like Bill Halter runs against her in the primary. He has to weigh giving up his comfortable Arkansas spread and moving his babies to nasty ole DC and taking a chance that AT&T & Mastercard/Visa will spend all it takes to make sure Blanche their tool is reelected. Lincoln and Pryor have hurt Arkansas as much as Osama hurt NYC. At least 20,000 people die each year in the US because they have no insurance and cannot afford to see a doctor and Lincoln and Pryor helped them die by voting to slant the bankrupcy laws in the big credit card company's favor.

You and I will have something in common next November as we both go to the polls and DON'T cast a vote for Blanche Lincoln. I think your support of Huckbee diminishes my view of your ability to think clearly, but by all means, be my guest because I think it would be great to see the Huckster as the Republican pick to go head to head with Obama. Huckabee has struck gold by running in a race he had no chance of winning. We will see him run from now on because it will allow Janet to fart through silk for the rest of her life. Fine....nothing dishonest about it....be my guest and keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. In general...good post Strange....keep em coming.

Kid,

We've been using the Bay Bridge runaround for years. Thanks for spilling the beans. There are other diversionary tactics available, as well.

I'm sure most people heading to Destin take I-10 to Crestview, Fla., and use the Mid-Bay Bridge to get to the beach. It can get quite congested at times, and the traffic in the deceivingly named Niceville is almost as bad as down on 98 at midsummer.

Those headed to the Seaside-Grayton Beach area might consider staying on I-10 past Crestview to De Funiak Springs and head down on 331. There's no toll and the countryside is pleasant and the traffic is generally negligible in our experience. You might encounter a shrimp boat tied up to the bridge and selling its catch to locals.

This bridge can also be used in case you get to Niceville and find the Mid-Bay Bridge backed up because of an accident (not an infrequent occurrence) by going straight on Hwy. 20 instead of making the turn to the bridge. This will take you across the north side of the bay through some of "old Florida."

Just a couple of alternatives that are a little more relaxing. For me it's worth it to drive a little bit further if the traffic is a lot lighter.

Jazzy, so does that mean Frenchie went to see a doctor or not? Im not a doctor, of course, but if he's having this much pain, etc., I seriously doubt it's going to go away on its own, and even if it does, he obviously needs a checkup.

Did the threat of being invaded by all the female AT Bloggers to nag at him 24/7 not get his attention? dear me, that's serious there.

whats really nice and fun about mammograms (although of course much, much better than dying of breast cancer) is that if one day you wake up and find a lump the size of a chicken strip (sorry if thats TMI), when you go in for a mammogram they will spend extra time flattening the chicken-strip area and causing it no small amount of discomfort. But it sure does beat the alternative, and I shouldn't complain. Its just that when you tell someone medical that it hurts when I press here, they are evidently immediately trained to PRESS THERE. Hard. Over and over. But Frenchie wont need a mammogram, anyway.

please let us know if youve had any luck hauling him to the doctor. Im worried about him, and we dont even know each other, but I always enjoy your posts and Frenchie seems like a genuinely nice guy. So tell him to get the rocks out of his head and get himself to a doctor, ER, walk-in clinic, whatever.

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