Street Jazz
by Richard S. Drake
Arkansas Times
Look for more Arkansas blogs here soon.
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Just Say No to Drones
I've been listening to the debates about torture and in my opinion, it isn't
something to debate. It's just wrong! The end. To debate something is to
admit there might be two sides. Something that saddens and frightens
me more than torture is our military's indiscriminate use of drones.
Drones of all kinds. I'm a big fan of the "Terminator" series of film and
I've got to say, fear of unmanned machines has seeped into my psyche
bigtime. I don't believe my fear is unfounded. When looking at war
through the ages, I believe the bravest of all fighters were the ones that
went toe to toe with swords. When guns were invented, even cowards
could feel braver. When airplanes came along and they started dropping
bombs from the air, it represented the lowest point in world history for
cowardly acts. Bombing indiscriminately is atrocious human behavior as
are land mines. But this drone thing is a different level of insanity. A
drone aircraft wiped out an entire wedding party in Afghanistan. And now,
word is, that the Pakistanis and Afghanis don't care for us at
all because of these drones. Can you blame them?
I was just reading where the North Little Rock police got duped into
buying unmanned, small helicopters at the cost of $60,000 a piece. The
first trip out the of the box, one of those things went haywire and crashed.
Not to worry though, it had a manufacturer’s warranty. Well, that makes
me feel better. Now what do they think these things are good for? Crowd
control! What a pipe dream that is. What if they crashed into a passing car
and make the driver wreck and kill 15 people in a traffic pileup. That's one
$60,000 toy that could cost the city millions in liability claims. I don't see
how they can do anything but cause trouble. So what if in the middle of a
concert of say 10,000 kids, they saw a boy smoking a joint. Are they
going to rush through the crowd in hopes of getting there before the joint
is gone? Are they going to trample innocent masses in the process. I just
don't buy any of the reasons for needing these drones. It's just another
ploy to steal taxpayer's money. Drones and RFID chips and worthless
pee tests. When will be have enough of the theft of our money.
Hopefully, there will be a uprising against the use of drones but so far, I
haven't heard a peep. Please don't sit on your butts waiting for drones to
fly through your neighborhood before you protest this outrageous
expense. I'd hate to have to go Sarah Connor on your ass, or is that
Sarah Palin?
Namaste!
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News feeds, tweets?
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Arts & Letters Daily (04 Jul 2009)
The Wolfram search engine will allow people to make use of science on a daily basis, just as Google has made billions of people reference librarians... more
Marc Augé laments the rise of airports that are decoupled from the world around them. Anywhere and everywhere, they are actually nowhere... more
Robert Wright may not believe in God, but he thinks that human beings, along with their religions, are marching, however wobbly, toward moral truth... more
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Coal Plant Will Emit Toxic Mercury Into Our Drinking Water Friday, 01 May 2009 American Electric Power (AEP) and Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) are planning to build a 600 megawatt coal-burning power station in Hempstead County. This plant would pollute your air and could increase your risk of health problems. *Annual emissions would be: 380 pounds of toxic... Read more...
Getting Our Priorities Straight Friday, 01 May 2009 By Pete Johnson Impoverished regions such as the Delta face formidable challenges as they attempt to become more competitive in the knowledge-based economy of the new century. We must, of course, improve our inadequate physical infrastructure, with major improvements needed in areas ranging from... Read more...
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 It’s a Metal Smorgasbord!! Friday, 01 May 2009 I. DRACONIAN Turning Season Within For bands of the Gothic Metal variety, the key is to avoid being overly cheesy. I mean, there’s a reason it’s often referred to as “Prom Dress Metal” or “Corset Metal”. Draconian, for the most part, seem to avoid the cliché. In fact, their 2003... Read more...
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Arkansas Press Home Friday, 22 May 2009 Coming soon! Think you know something about the Press in Arkansas? Want to contribute art, text, thoughts, or links to this page? Email us.
 More Greenberg Gas Emissions from Arkansas Dem-Gaze Sunday, 03 May 2009 Greenberg Gas Emissions Greenberg believes in Satan-not just some abstraction that helps facilitate the telling of a story with a moral, but a real monster that "goes to and fro in the land and walks up and down in it, seeing whom he may devour next." (Needless to say, his article is accompanied... Read more...
 Sunday Arkansas Dem-Gaze: Another Reason Arkansas is 49th in . . . Sunday, 08 March 2009 To the death, Dem-Gaze promotes their bankrupt ideologies. Insensitive to their own cognitive dissonance. Greenberg defends a canon. Oakley skates. Gitz shits and Masterson cries. All together the editors remain stalwarts of the status quo. Webb waves a worn out flag over the whole thing.... Read more...
 Randy Dixon's Jessica Dean: Journalist or Jurist Tuesday, 09 December 2008 According to a report by Ron Breeding of Arkansas News Radio, several members of the local media joined a small protest line outside Little Rock police headquarters where Curtis Vance was being taken out on what is known as a "perp walk" . . . Read more...
 What to Make of John Brummett Tuesday, 02 December 2008 Some media people have been around Arkansas so long you have to read them to keep up--whether you like them or not. John Brummett is . . . Read more...
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 American Healthscare Friday, 03 July 2009 Here's what socialist, European-style, Canadian-style healthcare does for you. My god the suffering. Europe needs to get them some American-style healthcare like Arkansas!$
Just Say No to Drones Thursday, 02 July 2009 I've been listening to the debates about torcher and in my opinion, it isn't something to debate. It's just wrong! The end. To debate something is to admit there might be two sides. Something that saddens and frightens me more than torcher is our military's indiscrimnate use of drones. Drones of all kinds. I'm a big fan of the "Terminator" series of film and I've got to say, fear of unmanned machines has seeped into my psyche bigtime. I don't believe my fear is unfounded. When looking at war through the ages, I believe the bravest of all fighters were the ones that went toe to toe with swords. When guns were invented, even cowards could feel braver. When airplanes came along and they started dropping bombs from the air, it represented the lowest point in world history for cowardly acts. Bombing indecriminately is atrocious human behavior as arer land mines. But this drone thing is a different level of insanity. A drone aircraft wiped out an entire wedding party in Afghanistan. And now, word is, that the Pakistanis and Afghanis don't care for us at all because of these drones. Can you blame them? I was just reading where the North Little Rock police got duped into buying unmanned, small helicopters at the cost of $60,000 a piece. The first trip out the of the box, one of those things went haywire and crashed. Not to worry though, it had a manufacturers warranty. Well, that makes me feel better. Now what do they think these things are good for? Crowd control! What a pipe dream that is. What if they crashed into a passing car and make the driver wreck and kill 15 people in a traffic pileup. That's one $60,000 toy that could cost the city millions in liability claims. I don't see how they can do anything but cause trouble. So what if in the middle of a concert of say 10,000 kids, they saw a boy smoking a joint. Are they going to rush through the crowd in hopes of getting there before the joint is gone? Are they going to trample innocent... Read more...
Gun Shy by Insolent Bystander Friday, 20 March 2009 I’m at a Gun Show. Of all places . . . . I’m only here because I’m helping my friend Bobbo. He’s got tables of World War II relics to hawk, and what the hell, I live just two blocks away. It’s not my cup of pee, but it’s money. Gotta keep the lizard fed. But damn almighty, it’s hard not to point and laugh.You can’t spell ARSENAL without ARSE. I stand on the mezzanine and scan a baited field of right-wing loons, the very demographic who still cling to their guns and religion. Laserprinted signage screams: WOW! Guns! Guns! GUNS! It’s a FIREARMS BLOWOUT! Rifles, Shotguns, Uzis, AK47s—We’ve Got What YOU Need! Pink purse holsters for the ladies! As if narcotized by the abundance of accessible firepower, suburban Grizzly Adams wannabes stagger along amidst tables full of bluesteel Viagra. Bins of gleaming brass bullets glitter like heaps of penny candy. A couple tables feature nothing but stacks of xeroxed hysterico-ideological screeds. It’s far from my usual haunts, this milling confusion of interchangeable, middle-aged, short, fat white guys. This is their world. I’m just a visitor. The word GUNS is rubberstamped in red ink on the back of my right hand. GUNS spelled backwards is SNUG. As in so many circles in my life, I know just enough buzzwords to pass like a chameleon. This time it’s thanks to my father’s technical-virgin membership in the NRA. Our family Ford Falcon sported a transparent decal that looked like a miniature stained-glass window with a chest-thumping, rampant-eagle patriotic theme. I remember sitting in the back of the station wagon with my brother Chris, munching take-out hamburgers as the windows fogged and silently reading the backwards inscription like a weird mantra: NOITAICOSSA ELFIR LANOITAN. I note with some amount of smug relief that Dad wouldn’t have shared much in common with most of the macho-jerk habituees here. He was purely a collector, never, never ever, firing the... Read more...
 Faith Based Home School Basketball - Catch the "Christian" Madness Tuesday, 27 January 2009 I (yes, I said "I") had the recent opportunity to catch a little organized Home School Basketball as I do from time to time. I know what you are thinking - "they sold you the whole seat but you only needed..... THE EDGE," right? While social awkwardness is the common stereotype for these kids (of which I have none in the hunt nor any ties to speak of), the talent and competition at the Senior High Boys level has increased dramatically. Plus they are just good kids. Tipoff came as it always does and my thoughts immediately flood to the idea and satisfaction that I have no vested interest in the outcome of this game as I would hate to show my "true colors" toward the officials in front of a gymnasium full of "do-gooders" if the game progressed to be a close one. I sat alone in my shame as I pondered my life of worldly matters in comparison to the happy, salts of the earth surrounding me.Be patient, I am getting to the religious part. Bashing if you will.Two trips up and one trip back was all that it took to get the visiting team's head coach up off of his posterior and screaming "Come on, ref!" My split-second thought is what is this guy yelling about, but that thought was interrupted by the sharp whistle of what looked like a pealess FOX and a quick, stern warning from the lead official. Some call this guy the referree.Time is short so I will make this short. A quick synopsis: the home team is quiet for the most part, well-behaved, and polite. Evidence sat along the sideline in the form of their two coaches, both of which gave the appearance of people that you would like to have as your neighbor.The second official is a black male. He is quiet, middle-aged (late 40's to early 50's), intelligent yet he does not use a lot of form in his style and calls. The first official (we will call him 'Ref') is around 30, white, more professional, and while he seems to be a overly nice guy, he is not one of these people. Look at his smirk and... Read more...
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Restaurants Monday, 04 August 2008 Little Rock and Arkansas restaurants. This is what really happened at local restaurants. Is this what you saw? Is this what "reviewers" say? Is this what they advertise?
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Know Your Local Bigot Thursday, 30 April 2009 Here's the link to the list of people who signed the petition in Arkansas to ... keep homosexuals from fostering or adopting parents.Brummett thinks that posting the list will polarize people more than encourage reflection. Here's one conversation about it:WS: I didn't vote for that amendment but... Read more...
The Best of Blanche Lincoln's Tour of Arkansas Monday, 20 April 2009 US Senator Blanche Lincoln toured the state last week "taking the pulse" of health care in Arkansas. The entire Lake Village and Springdale meetings (including questions from all the white people who participated) are on youtube but here are the highlights:Not one black person from Chicot County... Read more...
 Look Who’s in Little Rock Soiree this Month – March, 2009 Monday, 23 March 2009 Here's your monthly summary of Stephen's attempt to keep the Arkansas middle class happy with themselves and the status quo: A Native American is on the cover! Cool, maybe there's something socially redeeming in this edition. Hate to give away the ending but there's not. Socially... Read more...
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Homeless: I Am Yours! Friday, 01 May 2009 If this doesn't touch you at least a little then you better get to the hospital. I'm afraid you don't have a heart.
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The Governor's Arts Awards Go To.. Friday, 01 May 2009 LITTLE ROCK, AR The Arkansas Arts Council Executive Director Joy Pennington, has announced the recipients of the 2008 Governor’s Arts Awards. The Governor’s Arts Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas. The recipients were honored at an awards ceremony and... Read more...
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Razorback Message Boards: Chapter One - "A Melting Pot of Idiots" Sunday, 19 April 2009 This is a continuation from a previous excerpt: "Razorback Message Boards." After debating on whether or not to continue the piece, I had originally opted against it. However, after a number of messages wondering when Chapter One was going to come out and discussions on why I have not done it... Read more...
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Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 
I've been listening to the debates about torcher and in my opinion, it isn't something
to debate. It's just wrong! The end. To debate something is to admit there might be
two sides. Something that saddens and frightens me more than torcher is our military's indiscriminate use of drones. Drones of all kinds. I'm a big fan of the
"Terminator" series of film and I've got to say, fear of unmanned machines has
seeped into my psyche bigtime. I don't believe my fear is unfounded. When looking
at war through the ages, I believe the bravest of all fighters were the ones that went
toe to toe with swords. When guns were invented, even cowards could feel braver.
When airplanes came along and they started dropping bombs from the air, it
represented the lowest point in world history for cowardly acts. Bombing
indiscriminately is atrocious human behavior as are land mines. But this drone thing
is a different level of insanity. A drone aircraft wiped out an entire wedding party in
Afghanistan. And now, word is, that the Pakistanis and Afghanis don't care for us at
all because of these drones. Can you blame them?
I was just reading where the North Little Rock police got duped into buying unmanned,
small helicopters at the cost of $60,000 a piece. The first trip out the of the box, one of
those things went haywire and crashed. Not to worry though, it had a manufacturer’s
warranty. Well, that makes me feel better. Now what do they think these things are good
for? Crowd control! What a pipe dream that is. What if they crashed into a passing car
and make the driver wreck and kill 15 people in a traffic pileup. That's one $60,000 toy
that could cost the city millions in liability claims. I don't see how they can do anything
but cause trouble. So what if in the middle of a concert of say 10,000 kids, they saw a
boy smoking a joint. Are they going to rush through the crowd in hopes of getting there
before the joint is gone? Are they going to trample innocent masses in the process. I
just don't buy any of the reasons for needing these drones. It's just another ploy to steal
taxpayer's money. Drones and RFID chips and worthless pee tests. When will be have
enough of the theft of our money.
Hopefully, there will be a uprising against the use of drones but so far, I haven't heard
a peep. Please don't sit on your butts waiting for drones to fly through your
neighborhood before you protest this outrageous expense. I'd hate to have to go
Sarah Connor on your ass, or is that Sarah Palin?
Namaste!
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