Nutt Begone

A 46 page pdf file of Houston Nutt's phone records, including those to a femals sports caster.

Bizy

• I'm making an egg waterfall and need to find about two dozen emu eggs.
• I saw "Because I Said So" this weekend. Cute movie but Diane Keaton's style of acting was really driving me crazy. I don't mean the character but specifically her style of acting. Have you ever noticed that a lot of actors can only cry or act upset one way? Or maybe they are only ever allowed to act emotions a certain way because that is what is expected of them as an older actor. It's what their fans expect. Because fame says so?
• Missing your regular fast food person.
• Learning how to roll my ball around in Katamari Damacy.
• I ran around doing a lot of errands this weekend. Before leaving for one such errand, I told Glenn to take a nap because he was so tired. He did. He also yelled at Howl for meowing at the kitchen window above our sink. See, Howl's been a sneaky kitty what with climbing on the new kitchen counter so...clearly Glenn thought that Howl was just lamenting about how he was not allowed to climb up on the counter anymore. We had also been discussing last names for the cats. Clearly it would be "Sophie Good Girl" and "Howl the @$$". Because they are.... About half an hour later I come home. Howl greets me at the door, but not Sophie. I start to call her. Walk around the house looking for her. Glenn hasn't seen her. I go outside and start calling her. Nothing. I turn around to go back inside. Then I see Sophie sitting in the pile of old cabinets that we have been removing from the kitchen. I approach slowly and put on my calming "Here, Kitty kitty" voice. Sophie meows at me and walks towards the back yard. I follow slowly and nicely. She keeps giving me a 'get away' look and keeps making her way thru the haphazardly thrown pieces of cabinetry into the backyard. Finally, I nab her and put her inside. This is when I notice my flower pot knocked into the sink and the broken screen above the window. Yuppers. She jumped out of the window. And tried to about four times that weekend. Or at least I think she did since I kept finding the flower pot in the sink. We couldn't bring ourselves to yell at Sophie though. We decided to blame the whole ordeal on Howl since it was probably his idea anyway.
• Ordering a 9 foot long bag. It's not for what you think. Two words: CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.
• Wishing all four way stop signs were replaced with stop lights.
• A regular neighborhood dog made his way over to our house Sunday around 5pm. He was cute and springy. Looked like a long haired doberman pincher. Didn't get picked up until 9pm. I was actually making plans to drop him off at the animal shelter the next day.
• Took one too many DanActive's on Sunday and ended up puking my guts out around 11pm Sunday night. Let me tell you, it was not all glitter and rainbows like you think it would be.
• Migraine. ALL. WEEK. LONG. And not the kind with a 'real' headache. The annoying sore/tingly neck kind that works on your nerves.
• I had no idea our library has so many Bollywood films.
• Emergency! I had to scrounge up a cat costume and make-up ASAP! I also managed time enough to create a face and make-up design with instructions. The best part was that it was known that I would have this stuff.
• Of all the places in the U.S.A., Arkansas is the last place that I would think it HARD, nay IMPOSSIBLE, to find Nascar memorabilia.
• Washed the drapes.
• Breathing.

*edited once.

Southern Secret

I've lived below the Mason-Dixon line for nine years now. I went to a private girls high school for four years before moving to Arkansas, so these last nine years have been a real eye opener to the male species. For starters, I didn't realize how simple guys were - or for that matter, how complicated women were. Here is the best explanation I have heard:

Men are like a switch. On the top it reads "On" and the bottom is labeled "Off". Women are a bit more complicated. You see a wall. This wall is covered from top to bottom, side to side with multiple buttons, knobs, dials, switches, and toggles in various sizes and colors. None of which are labeled.

And ladies, I have found the switch that controls the southern boys. Give it to them and they will be like warm, melted butter. They will sing your praises, treat you with respect and keep coming back to you for more. Sometimes with presents! It's not sex either. You're not going to believe it when I tell you, and I have yet to meet one who doesn't get excited at the mere mention of it. Rotel. Rotel is a can of tomatos and chiles. So, how do you freak boys out with it? Mix it up with some cheese, preferably Velveeta. It has been my experience that when the guy sees it, his eyes light up as though all of his Christmas dreams have come true. It's also been the one dish that ensures compliments. I had no idea what 'Rotel' was when I came down here. And the dish is commonly referred to as 'Rotel', not 'cheese dip' as us Yankees would say. The Rotel website has a bunch of recipes listed, including one for the 'Famous Rotel Cheese Dip'. I cook mine in a crock pot/slow cooker.

Just remember that this whole marriage thing was your stupid idea. I didn't ask to be all crazy.

I moved to Arkansas about ten years ago and received a culture shock. I grew up around a lot of single families. There were a few single parents, as well as a few teenage pregnancies - even in the Catholic high school I attended. When I started college in Arkansas I noticed that most kids my age were either pregnant, had kids, were married or divorced. Most often in that order. But overtime it became the norm to me and I realized that it was just natural. People have been doing it for centuries. Until now. A small town in Missouri is transforming thier community into a little Stepford:

"The current ordinance prohibits more than three people from living together unless they are related by "blood, marriage or adoption." The defeated measure would have changed the definition of a family to include unmarried couples with two or more children. "

Buffy quote: Anya in Bargaining (Part 1)

Local Boy Does Good ;)

GRAVETTE — Excited screams of "Oh, look. There he is!" echoed on Main Street in Gravette on Wednesday night at a watch party for "American Idol" hopeful Patrick Hall. The 27-year-old singer has made the Top 24 on his way to becoming the next Idol. Party organizers Rodger Terrell, director of Gravette city services, and Chris Brandon, a longtime friend and business associate of Hall’s, hosted the party at the Gravette Towne Centre at 109 Main Street. Ironically, the building is owned by Hall. Three separate TVs were surrounded by the enthusiastic watchers. A sign near the popcorn machine declared, "Go Patrick." Soft drinks and snacks were available, and the hometown folks were clearly confident that Hall would move to the next level of competition. First to arrive at the watch party were Vicky Johnston and her 19-year-old daughter Tabitha Johnston. "We’re here to support one of our own," Vicky Johnston said. "Things like this watch party keep our hometown alive. I wanted to be here. Patrick is doing a lot by redoing a lot of the buildings in downtown Gravette. I appreciate that and I’m a big fan of his. That’s why I came to this party tonight." Brandon said he believes Hall will go a long way and could easily become the new American Idol. "He’s so gifted," Brandon explained. "Besides singing, Patrick is a wonderful pianist and songwriter. He’s just really good." Hall’s wife, Laura, agreed. "We were married last July 4 th," she said. "I have signed an agreement with the show that I won’t discuss anything about his appearances, but I can tell you that I’m very, very proud of him. This is great to have so many people cheering for him." Hall’s sister Caroline Martinez said she, of course, was proud, too. "He’s been singing since he could talk," Martinez said, smiling. "He’s a good singer, songwriter and an accomplished pianist. I’m so glad America will get to see the talent we’ve seen Patrick’s whole life." Hall’s dad, Billy Hall, M. D., shook hands with just about everyone at the watch party and accepted all the good wishes on behalf of his son. Janell Hendren Edwards is another of Hall’s friends. Also a singer, she and Hall have often entertained audiences together. "We’ve been friends since childhood," Edwards said. "I’m a little older and Patrick was always like a little brother to me. We really began performing together at local venues in 2002. We recorded a demo in Nashville and sang together over a year and a half. I’m so proud of him and happy for him. I’ll be watching the show because I feel sure he’ll really shine." Mitchell Wilber, Hall’s junior high school principal, was in the crowd. "Oh, Patrick was just a wonderful student," Wilber said. "He received the highest honors in school and is just a good, good citizen." Carrying a gorgeous, homemade cake in front of her, Deeree Mitchell said she made it in honor of Hall. "He and my husband, Gib, have been friends forever," Mitchell said. "We called Patrick (Wednesday) morning, and told him we would be at his watch party.... I let him know I was baking him a cake." Another watch party is scheduled for Feb. 23. Twelve men and 12 women have made it to the next level of competition. Hall will compete with the remaining men during a two-hour episode Wednesday. The show begins at 7 p.m. on FOX, and the public will begin voting for their favorite performer. During the watch party Thursday, four contestants — two men and two women — will be eliminated. Only 20 will continue, vying for the title. The first live "American Idol" results will be revealed during the show at the watch party. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. at the Gravette Towne Centre, 109 Main St. S. E. in downtown Gravette.

Windows 2005 Warning:

Dear Consumers It has come to our attention that a few copies of the WINDOWS 2005 Arkansas EDITION may have accidentally been shipped outside of the STATE of Arkansas. If you have one of these, you may need help understanding the commands. The Arkansas EDITION may be recognized by the unique opening screen. It reads: WINDERS 2005, with a background picture of Waylon and Willie superimposed on a bottle of Jack Daniels. Please also note: The Recycle Bin is labeled "Outhouse" My Computer is called "This Dern Contraption" Dial Up Networking is called "Good Ol' Boys" Control Panel is known as "The Dashboard" Hard Drive is referred to as "4-Wheel Drive" Floppies are "Them little ol' plastic thangs" Instead of an error message, "Duct Tape" pops up CHANGES IN TERMINOLOGY IN Arkansas EDITION: Cancel............stopdat Reset..............try'er agin Yes...............yep No................nope Find...............hunt fer it Go to.............over yonder Back...............back yonder Help..............hep me out here Stop...............kwitit (WHOA!) Start............crank'er up Settings..........settins Programs......... stuff at duz stuff Documents....... .stuff ah done did Also note that the Arkansas EDITION does not recognize capital letters or punctuation marks. Some programs that are exclusive to WINDERS 2005: Tiperiter............a word processing program Colerin' Book..................a graphics program Cyferin' Mersheen............calculator Outhouse Paper................notepad Inner-net......................Microsoft explorer 5.0 Pitchers........................a graphics viewer We regret any inconvenience it may have caused. If you received a copy of the Arkansas EDITION, you may return it to Microsoft for a replacement version. I hope this helps all y'all! Billy Bob Gates Get er done!

Why I Love My Town Post

It's a beautiful cloudy morning here in Fayetteville. I realized I don't post too much about the city itself. I've mentioned certain stores or restaurants, or how they don't decorate for Halloween. But what I haven't posted enough of is just how lovely this place is. Every morning on my way to work I watch parents walk their kids to school, while others walk their dogs. There is a little coffee shop every mile, some of which let you bring your dog in. There are hippies and businessmen, there are farmers and there are ranchers, there are students and there are people that just want their own piece of heaven. Yes, we have the Internet, and polo, and a horse that gets painted to promote awareness about a local club or charity every so often so that everyone leaving Wal-mart will remember. And then there are the games. Most people's tourist season is during the summer, but ours is the fall when the Hogs play. (You might not want to order pizza that day.) There are also tons of antique shops, and some beading shops too. Plenty of cool little clothing stores, and even some good used music and video game places. Dude, we finally got a Krispy Kreme within the state-line. (No more morning runs to Tulsa.) And if you think that we still live too far out to get anything cultural, then what do you say we go see a Broadway musical or a ballet performed by the Joffrey ballet company? Or how about an evening with Willie? Shh...we even have poetry too. Not to mention the Statue of Liberty, but I'm not going to tell you where. You'll just have to come here and find it yourself. ;) It wasn't until I did a scavenger hunt a few years ago w/ my fraternity brothers that I knew about some of this. This is the place where I grew up. I started to come down here at the age of 12 during every summer and spring break. I fell in love with the land first, and then the people. In fact, I didn't meet anyone that was originally from Arkansas until I was about nineteen. Everyone had moved here from some big city or another state, but what took me a while to realize was that everyone stayed for the same reason. They fell in love. This was the place where I learned to say "No, sir" and "Yes, ma'am". I tried it a few times back in the city, but I kept getting weird looks from people, as though I were a freak for being polite. Down here it's appreciated, you're respected, and the people will always ask you about your mother. When I was little, about the age of six, I was very good at figuring out a person's nationality just by looking at them. I was over at my grandmother's house one night during her regular poker game. I sat there, played with my toys, walked in and out of the room, but within the first five minutes I already knew who was what. When the adults finally took notice of me I decided to lay it on them. One of the ladies dared me that there was no way I could know what her nationality was, when I said "You're Polish," she just sat there and stared at me all wide-eyed for the next two minutes. Now, I live in a place where the people's ancestry is as muddy as the Mississippi, as windy as the Missouri. There's the regular mixtured of Western European, but then you'll start to hear about their tribal roots and the great nations their great-grandmother's came from and the old homestead their family still owns. I can look at my husband now and say that I have married an American. Everyone that I've met has taken great pride in being a distant relative of the James brothers too, but don't ask how they are related unless you plan on staying for dinner. ;) Arkansas is America's best kept secret, just like the diamonds hidden in its land. We feed the country and the world with our rice and chicken. Some say that the Walton's are taking it over. But Wal-mart used to be just another little store, as well as a few other businesses around Fayetteville, like Tyson and JB Hunt. When I used to live in the city, I felt like just another number. Some mindless drone in the rat race. When I moved here, I actually felt my heart rate slow down, I didn't worry so much about beating everyone else but doing what was best for me. This is a place where you don't feel swamped or beaten down by everyone else's goals and dreams; this is where they help you to achieve them. Fayetteville is my home and I'm glad that I found it. I don't think I could ever live in the city again, visit it maybe, but never live there. I have everything I'll ever need right here.

Get Out of Little Rock?

Arkansas placed well in this article of the Top 20 Meanest cities in the US. Found via JW. The worst experience I've ever had in Little Rock was when I went down for Rock-con and the tornado sirens were going off. I listed the top ten.

1 Little Rock, Arkansas

2 Atlanta, Georgia

3 Cincinnati, Ohio

4 Las Vegas, Nevada

5 Gainesville, Florida

6 New York City, New York

7 Los Angeles, California

8 San Francisco, California

9 Honolulu, Hawaii

10 Austin, Texas

Free Falling Just Like Turkey

One of the weirdest things that we heard about when we moved to Arkansas was the annual Turkey Trot in Yellville. They drop live turkeys from an airplane. One year, they were pursuaded to use frozen turkeys because it was believed to be cruel to the turkeys. Well, someone got killed trying to catch the frozen projectory. More reading for your pleasure:

Each year in October Yellville attracts over 30,000 visitors to its Annual Turkey Trot, a two-day extravaganza of everything about the gobbler: lip sync contests, beauty contests, turkey shooting competitions (run, Tom, RUN!), Turkey Trot races, turkey dinners, turkey artisan crafts (get your handcrafted turkey feather dusters here) and live entertainment keep Yellville hopping for 48 hours.

A festival highlight is always the Miss Drumstick contest, where contestants are judged on their gams only, with face and body obscured -- perhaps one of the most ethical Miss Drumstick contests in the country. The Trot always culminates with a street dance in the Square, where everyone gets down and boogies… that is, everyone who isn't napping in a tryptophan-induced haze.

The Turkey Drop must be mentioned; not a Trot- nor Yellville town-sanctioned event, but a popular tradition nevertheless. A (very, very) low flying plane drops live turkeys into the welcoming arms of a waiting crowd. Note that domestic turkeys don't fly, wild turkeys can a teeny bit … neither fare too well when tossed from a plane: think of a 22-lb., warm-blooded, feathered missile hurtling toward the ground. It must be an Arkansas thing. -- Lisa Galloway (Photo: Ray Sizemore)

Needed Items

Need to know what to give to shelters? Here is a list: Hand sanitizer
Hand wipes
Shampoo
Soaps
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Feminine Hygiene Products
Ziplock bags
Towels
Washcloths
Diapers
Ready-to-feed baby formula
Pre-paid phone cards
Baby food stage 1 & 2
Band-aids
Clothing for men, women, children; all sizes
Shoes; all sizes
Socks
Sharpie markers
Batteries; size D, AA
Flashlights
Individually packaged snacks
Baby bottles
Reading material
Bibles
Backpacks
Duffle bags
Pillows
Anti-septic cream
Brushes
Games, toys & coloring books for children
Bottled water
Toilet paper
Paper towel
Cleaning supplies

I found it via the Northwest Arkansas American Red Cross Chapter.

Web Site of the Day, take II

Our New Neighbors in Northwest Arkansas
Another site for Northwest Arkansas with a lot of helpful links.
We are being made aware of needs every day that are not yet being met. Since this website is designed to provide only links to existing resources and programs, we ask you to read through this list and see if there are gifts or services you can provide to help our new neighbors. Our hope is that this "wish list" can spark your imagination, and create a new area of giving:
Transportation Coordination
Computers for shelters (internet-ready)
Resume' writers for assistance
Insurance counseling/guidance
Childcare for displaced families
Extra vehicles for use by victims to get to new jobs
Mechanical work donated to get 'extra' vehicles serviced
Bikes and scooters for victims to get to jobs nearby
"Welcome Packets" of supplies, etc. for app. 60 new UofA students from the affected areas.

Web Site of the Day

Open Your Home
For anyone in the Northwest Arkansas area. Their website also provides many helpful links. I've noticed a lot of talk about people needing to collect money from their insurance companies and FEMA, this site has some links for that.
It's about damn time we see Americans reach out to each other.

Whole Lot of Shakin'

When I moved to Arkansas I quickly discovered that we live on a huge fault line like that of San Andreas out in California. It is called the New Madrid fault line. I know in my mind that we have little earthquakes all of the time and that these are necessary during the continental shifting. However, it's always in the back of my mind that the big one could hit...again.
The damage area for the 16 December 1811 New Madrid earthquake was 15 times as large as the area of similar damage for the magnitude 8.3 San Francisco earthquake of 1906. And the third of these great earthquakes, in February of 1812, is the largest known earthquake in the continental U.S. Only Alaska has had a larger one, the Great Alaska earthquake of 1964.
I'm a little nervous to read the reports. I figure that it is better to just not know when it is going to hit, and be prepared. Of course, if there are any kind of warning signs, then please, send them my way.

Blog of the Day

I have found another Fayetteville, Arkansas blog! This one is all about the question that I ask myself a lot, even when I am snack-packin it: Where should I eat lunch today? This group has reviewed such places as the snack Bar at Target! and the eatery at the Bowling Alley! even that little Taco Hut! Yet, I loved reading about eat one. They are fun and definitely an interesting read. Here is a blurb:

"This movie was weird. There wasn't much of a plot from what I could tell. Just a bunch of dumb-asses attempting to get some lunch at some random place in the middle of nowhere. Here's a brief re-cap if you're still reading", you're still reading aren't you? Good, then go git yer fill at Lunchtour!

Just a Memory

This happened the first year that we lived in Arkansas.
CNN.com - Jonesboro school shooter free - Aug 12, 2005: "'I'm glad he's not coming back to Jonesboro. Too many people in this area would put a hole in him,' resident Greg Slayton said. Whitney Irving, a student at the middle school when the shootings occurred, said she and others still struggle to cope with what happened seven years ago. 'I want to ask him personally: Have you changed? Do you feel sorry for what you did? Have you suffered like we have?' she said. 'Of course, there's no way he's suffered as much as we have.' She added, 'In my eyes, he's always going to be a killer. I mean I don't see how you can go from being a killer to being a minister, especially just in seven years.'"
Several things come to mind about this. I understand the grief of all the families involved. But I keep coming back to Mitchell Johnson. I wonder how much he remembers about that day. How clearly he was thinking. What would I have done if one of my friends just opened fire at my school. I remember feeling really distant to what happened, even though it was just a few hours away. To see it broadcast on CNN was unreal. How could a child do that? Hasn't this happened before? What have we been missing?
No reason was given and it soon became one in several unexplained school shootings. Everyone was blaming each other. Kids were wondering what the hell was going on and if they might be next. Security alerts were heightened, some schools adding in metal detectors. It's still going on today with video games and no short supply of ritalin. I can't imagine what it would be like to get a phone call that there had been a shooting at the school where my child is at. Was my child shot? Do I know who the shooter was? God help us.

Blogthings - You Know You're From Arkansas When...

Blogthings - You Know You're From Arkansas When...
I edited this to show the ones that I have witnessed.

You Know You're From Arkansas When...

"Vacation" means goin' through Harrison on the way to Branson. Down South, to you, means Louisiana. You have no problem spelling or pronouncin' Ouachita or Possum Grape. You know what Toad Suck and Booger Holler are. You know the difference between a deer dog, a duck dog and a coon dog by the way they bark. Pulaski County is considered a foreign or exotic place. You faithfully drink Pepsi, Mt. Dew, or Dr. Pepper everyday of your life. You or your neighbors have more hunting dogs than you have family members. You visit the Arkansas State Fair mainly to see your neighbor's prize chicken. You think orange barrels are really part of the interstate system. When the forecast calls for an inch of snow, you run out with all the other crazies to stand in line for three hours to buy a month's worth of groceries. You drink sweet iced tea out of a sports bottle. Your traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a deep-fried turkey. You call a shopping cart a buggy. You see "No Hunting" signs are riddled with bullet holes. You think "Animal House" is the training film for incoming athletes at the University of Arkansas The three food groups are Velveeta, pork rinds and a six-pack. Everyone you think of as a "liberal" is either Methodist or Catholic. You've "offered" someone an "ass-whoopin'. " ( When you give directions they include "over yonder," "down the road a piece," and "right near." You're not commitment-phobic: you love God, guns and football. You think bagels are nothing but a cruel doughnut joke invented by some Yankee! You say, "I voted for Clinton to get him out of the state." You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Arkansas.

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Arkansas Couple Win Ducttape Contest

Stuck at Prom: "AVON, Ohio, July 8, 2005 Pablo Picasso claimed, 'Everything you can imagine is real. After letting their imaginations run free, high school students, Krystal Long and Casey Isringhouse, are now realizing their prom outfits reminiscent of Picasso's 'Girl Before a Mirror' and made completely out of duct tape ' won them a college scholarship.
Long and Isringhouse, of Forrest City, Ark., were named winners of the 2005 Duck brand duct tape Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest, and each was awarded a $2,500 college scholarship. Long and Isringhouse, both 18, designed, created and wore their artistic duct tape attire to Forrest City High School's prom this spring, and submitted themselves into the fifth annual Duck brand duct tape Stuck at Prom Contest.
The duo, dressed from head to toe in duct tape, outdid more than 260 couples from 44 states and Canada. The inventive couple set off to prom in formalwear that would have even impressed one of the 20th century's most famous artists. Long was elegantly wrapped in a two-piece dress inspired by Pablo Picasso's 'Girl Before a Mirror'. The outfit featured an a-line skirt and backless top that was intricately laced together, both carrying an orange harlequin pattern reminiscent of the painting throughout. Isringhouse's attire complemented his date, donning a classic black tuxedo with orange accents, and a vest matching the harlequin pattern of Long's dress. Isringhouse's ensemble was accessorized with an over-sized black and orange cane.
The couple said the outfits were extremely hot and heavy, but the reactions made it all worthwhile. 'We had a great time at our prom our friends and classmates were really behind us,' said Isringhouse.
'Everyone loved the outfits and couldn't believe they were actually made of duct tape,' added Long.
In all, it took the couple 25 rolls of duct tape and more than four weeks of work to complete their outfits."