-
Immigration bill drops in the dead of night
After working behind closed doors for weeks, the Senate Gang of Eight walked an extra mile to keep the comprehensive immigration reform bill a secret. Normally, legislation of this magnitude that has been surrounded by massive publicity would be introduced mid-day to allow the press …
-
Boston bombs prompt Twitter toxicity
Shortly after Boston’s annual idyll devolved into mayhem, I tweeted: “Worst thing: People died … Second worst thing: The upcoming blame game.” Sure enough, it was game on. I get that we’re all upset. The urge to lash out is strong, and we’re only human. …
-
King Darius’ inscription led to deciphering of cuneiform
Standing like a giant billboard beside one of the major caravan routes in Persia, what today is modern Iran, is a huge inscription created by artisans and craftsmen for King Darius the Great. The inscription, carved 300 feet above the ground near Behistun (which has …
-
Letter to the Editor
Civitan Awareness Month April is Civitan Awareness month. Civitan International is an association of community service clubs founded in 1917. Our aim is to build good citizenship by providing a volunteer organization of clubs dedicated to serving individual and community needs with emphasis on helping …
-
Fido in bed, groom in doghouse
I think I may have fallen behind the times and all it took was a local radio station to bring me to this knowledge. On my drive to work the other morning I was listening to one of my favorite morning shows when the deejays …
-
Letter to the editor
Taxed enough already Dear editor: We who are property owners in the Batesville and Cedar Ridge school districts have managed to escape the suffocating and murderous hand of increased taxation for the time being. How long will it be until some other well-intentioned but overzealous …
-
Where was God during the Boston Marathon?
As the FBI and Department of Homeland Security sift through the collateral damage in Boston, one thing is abundantly clear: it was an act of terrorism. Questions, like who is responsible and their motivation, remain to be determined. Along with those questions, one cannot help …
-
Virtual Wall is tribute to those lost in Vietnam
My grandfather recently sent me an email containing a link to a virtual (online) Vietnam Wall that allows viewers to find the names of Americans who died in the war. The site is www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm. The Arkansas page has approximately 600 names. When you click on …
-
The higher our tech, the ruder we get
Get this: Social media are making us ruder. According to Reuters, social media users face “an increase in rudeness online with people having no qualms about being less polite virtually than in person.” I think our rudeness began with the introduction of another technological innovation: …
-
New pet makes for ‘blue’ environment
Things have turned a little blue at my house the last few weeks and I hope it’s something Luke and I can handle. We recently became “parents” to a royal blue Beta fish that we proudly call Suede. (Get it, “blue suede?”) He’s male and …
-
Happy Hollow drew tourists
McLeod’s Amusement Park in Hot Springs was better known as Happy Hollow for about 50 years. It was started as a photographer’s stand by Norman McLeod in 1888, but soon grew into a fun park for tourists. Located just off busy Central Avenue, near the …
-
Lorie and Paul: A real love story
Since my sister Lorie’s death last August her husband, Paul, has been lost without her and has been spending a lot of time with our family. Since Lorie is Paul’s favorite subject, I have really learned a lot about my sister as a wife and …
