Thursday 19 September 2024 11:23:40 PM CDT


Monday 16 September 2024 11:34:15 AM CDT

By popular demand (two of my three regular readers) I will add some other stuff besides classic (classical of the future) music. Movie reviews may have to wait a while but I'll start doing some literature. And the regular reader who didn't demand didn't object and no it isn't Chris. Anyhow this half-week we have a favorite for about fifty or so years, a little over actually.

I could write a small book comparing and contrasting the lives of two of my favorite - and the greatest - pulp writers of all time and how both were so much more, in subtle ways, than many critically acclaimed authors. The subtlety, nuance if you will, is part of the problem and Howard and Burroughs are relegated to the ranks of purveyors of cheap entertainment.

Not that their product didn't make tons of money for a lot of people - Burroughs actually lived long enough to see commercial success and the financial rewards while Howard died at thirty in relative obscurity. Howard was the better writer but Burroughs (partly because he lived more than twice as long) produced a greater volume of work.

People of the Black Circle is one my three favorite Howard stories and vies with Beyond the Black River for the top spot. A Witch Shall be Born is very good but TPOTBC and BTBR have the edge. All would make great movies but most of the audience that made Conan the Barbarian and the recent Dune movies so profitable isn't sufficiently intellectually sophisticated to make something like a series of Conan movies profitable.

I can imagine though, Arnold Schwarzenegger doing the above scene: "Aye, come foath yew ole wah dawg, ahve slain one of youh men." You get the idea.

Howard was paid little for his work - a few hundred dollars for each story. A lot of money in 1930 but hardly the millions made from his books sold after his death and of course the movies.

Okey-dokey, so much for the real world. How about the world I hope is a dream I'll someday wake up from?

Blytheville made their temporary police chief permanent. Makes sense I suppose, if the guy has been doing a decent job why not.

Before Thompson left his post, Logan told K8 News that six people had applied for the position. At that time, she said that with the city's high crime rate, they would not settle for anyone but the best. (KAIT)
You think a police will do something about the crime besides arrest the criminals whenever possible? I would suggest that a high crime rate is something of a societal problem.

Of the various bad behavior incidents this one is about the only one worth mentioning. Not just because a Dodge Charger was involved.

Arkansas legislature discussing gun laws. We don't need any more and in Arkansas we probably aren't going to have any because there aren't but a handful of Democrats. Still they have to suggest something:

State Rep. Tippi McCullough spoke out regarding firearms at bus stops.

'I think that's definitely a red flag that we all need to be concerned about,' McCullough said. 'That might be a different issue for someone that lives in a rural area versus an urban area.'
Some clarification might be in order. Is it unlawful to have firearms at bus stops? Idunno. Does she want it to be? Are people who ride the bus people who shouldn't carry? Guess I'll wait for the clarification. Jonestown hasn't been rural in a long time but it is becoming more urban in some areas.



Tuesday 17 September 2024 11:34:15 AM CDT

No spectacular crime so far and nothing...

What, Chris?

No, no Dodge Chargers yet. Anyway, I guess we'll deal with the AG comments on the usual malcontents. KAIT linked to a Little Rock station that... nevermind, here's what they had to say:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Transparency is once again being challenged in the Natural State, this time in the topic of Arkansas dollars that go to private schools.

Last week, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin released an opinion saying that private schools, even the ones that accept public dollars through the LEARNS Act, are not subject to the state's Freedom of Information Act. (KARK.com)
Ya see kiddos, FOIA only applies to government agencies. Private schools are just that - private. Now you're gonna go judge-shopping and waste a lot of taxpayer money, about all you're good for. Every kid in a private school not only doesn't get you about 10-15K of taxpayer money into your pockets but it's one more that doesn't get indoctrinated with your garbage. If you eventually get what you want the private schools - most aren't taking government money anyway and most home-schoolers aren't either because they don't want the government meddling, or yours - will just stop. They don't get the money but you don't get the kids and the government schools don't get the the money either.


Homeschooling was growing before the LEARNS act and similar laws in other states and microschools are doing the same without taxpayer money. You're losing and your losing faster with each passing year. Homeschooled and private school students are more successful and go higher in the food chain than government-schooled ones. Sadly a lot of good kids are stuck in government schools due to circumstances or parents who are themselves either incognizant of the damage they do or approve of it.

News media organizations do polls and publish them - if they can get the desired results - in order to influence public opinion. Political parties do polls to try to figure out where they stand and they're not as reliable as they once were. This one says Governor Sanders has a 50% approval. Not surprising as much has been attacked and lied about, kinda like Trump. She won the election something like 62% and will win next time. Arkansas doesn't elect Democrats any more. She was at the Trump town hall in Flint, suggesting she is still close to Trump.



Her association with Trump does cause the dims to hate her more but they're gonna hate no matter who or what. I don't know that she has such aspirations or just wants to do good for her home state. She would make a good president though.



Wednesday 18 September 2024 11:16:25 AM CDT

Jonesboro police chief talking about crime. At least he noticed:

Chief Elliott said in 2023, 30% of crimes committed in Jonesboro were by people who do not live there, with several suspects being in cities like Memphis and Little Rock, and even states outside of Region 8 like Washington and California.
The Arkansas judicial system does seem to deal with malefactors local and imported pretty well - locking them up for a long time. Sadly I don't see that being much of a deterrent given the criminal mind.
    I won't get caught.

    If I get caught I won't be prosecuted.

    If I do get prosecuted I won't be convicted.

    If I am convicted I won't go to prison.

    If I do go to prison it won't be for very long.
Keep on lockin'em up.

The tornado-destroyed building in Wynne that some folks want to recall the mayor over probably won't be back. Seems if FEMA was gonna pay they had to replicate the almost century old building in brick and mortar and would cost a million dollars. A steel truss metal building maybe 100K. Dunno how big the old one was. I suppose people that want it replaced could see if the folks in the community would contribute something. Yeah, I know, dumb idea. You want something you find a way to get someone to give it to you. Or steal it.



Thursday 19 September 2024 18:22:15 AM CDT

Levesque is according to Wickedpedia an unincorporated community at the junction of U.S. Route 64 and Arkansas Highway 163. Drove through there many times back in the day, going to Memphis or going up what we called the Bay Road back in the day. Some maybe still do. 163 is a twisty hilly road running along the base of Crowleys Ridge and if you drive on it long enough you'll end up in Jonestown. Rich fellow lived up there, friend of Slick Willie, in charge of the highway department. So real nice road running up there, he's long gone but it's still a pretty good road.

Not much there, an old cotton gin and I forget what. Some guys that lived around there invented a pretty good stump grinder. Don't know what ever happened to them or the stump grinder business, ain't heard of them in years. The railroad track that runs along Highway 64 would be the one where they found this guy.

Okey-dokey, what else we got to finish this installment? I always assume that if I'm not the only human being within a mile or two there's a camera or three watching me. I don't even... never mind. This person I guess didn't know or didn't care or both. How do you spend $348.52 at a Dollar General and Kum & Go? I'm guessing most of it was at the dollar store. I was in a Dollar Tree one day, back when everything was a dollar, and got in the checkout line behind a couple of women. One of them says "Every time I come in here I tell myself I'll get out without spending over a hundred dollars." Not a joke man, if I remember aright she didn't succeed that time either.

Last car chase for now involves a Corvette of unspecified vintage. Started in Left Memphis, killed a road construction person during the chase and dumped the car in Memphis. Not gonna hold my breath waiting to see if they find the perp.

Later.






























































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Yasmina, confused by the rapidity of events, not quite sure just what had happened, saw a
vague shape rush out of the darkness, bare feet slapping softly on the rock, ragged garments
whipping on the wind of his haste. She glimpsed the flicker of steel, heard the lightning
crack of stroke, parry and counter-stroke, and the crunch of bone as Conan's long knife split
the other's skull.

Conan sprang back, crouching in the shelter of the rocks. Out in the night men were moving and
a stentorian voice roared: 'What, you dogs! Do you flinch? In, curse you, and take them!'

Conan started, peered into the darkness and lifted his voice.

'Yar Afzal! Is it you?'

There sounded a startled imprecation, and the voice called warily.

'Conan? Is it you, Conan?'

'Aye!' the Cimmerian laughed. 'Come forth, you old war-dog. I've slain one of your men.'

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The National Microschooling Center is an advocacy group for the movement; it estimated that as of the 2023-24 school year there were 95,000 microschools and homeschooling "pods" in the U.S. nationwide, with more than one million students participating.(! A survey by the group found that 40% percent of microschool students were previously enrolled in public school, while another third were previously homeschooled.!2) The popularity of microschools increased sharply in the 2020s for several reasons, including disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, more government funding through school choices initiatives, and the increase popularity of education savings accounts.'2! As of 2023, about one-third of microschools received public funding as part of school voucher type programs.!?1
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Jawbreaker 39 minutes ago ‘Arkansas AG says private schools are not subject to FOIA Anything to stop the bleeding. It won't work - homeschooling continues to increase and the microschools are really going to put a hole in their revenue. I don't know of any homeschoolers that applied for the money because there are already too many strings. But I suppose that's the idea. And all the pressure that's been building up, For all the years it bore the load, The cracks appear, the frame starts to distort, It's ready to explode. Reply +4(4+]-) Jessica Atreides Marshall 21 minutes ago I don't know of any either. But knowing homeschoolers the idea is to keep the government out of your life and protect your kids. Any that are taking the money will stop real quick if any Commie Karen that wants to can pry into their business. But as you said, that's the idea. We have entered the time when all will turn against us and seek our lives. Reply 104] -) Twisted Mentat 12 minutes ago They hate homeschoolers. A lot of homeschoolers are preppers as well and most preppers are people who won't go quietly if/when the time comes. I suppose they hate homeschooling as a matter of principle (and money and control) but they really hate people who can't be controlled. I should say hate and fear. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. Reply 0G ]-)
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Sinanju Master 1 hour ago Democrats sure hate her. Hated her dad when he was governor too. 8 Before you can learn anything, you must know what you are studying Reply + (G[-) Prime Chuck Norris 42 minutes ago She's more conservative than her father, so they really hate her. Not to worry, she'll do two terms as governor ending in time to be a VP candidate and from VP to president. Trump - Vance - Vance - Sanders - Sanders. When I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you. Reply +104] -) DePloraBelle 33 minutes ago First woman president, hard to do better. What difference, at this point, does it make? Reply +104] -) Goldry Bluszco 18 minutes ago 2025-2045 - the American Renaissance. It was pittie one so wittie malcontent, leaving reason should to treason so be bent. Reply oGl-)
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