Monthly Archives: July 2007

Perspective in Southern Light

We were talk­ing Sun­day over cof­fee about the Demzette pub­lish­ing a con­ver­sa­tional yet solid-punching essay by UA’s Mohja Kahf as the lede piece in the Per­spec­tive (edi­to­r­ial) sec­tion. Under her name is printed The Wash­ing­ton Post, where the piece first ran a week ago. We were proud. Mohja is one of us. Not just a “Fate-ville”

Yes Sir, That’s His Baby

Relax­ation tip: Ignore the pres­i­den­tial cam­paigns because it’s 15 months before Novem­ber 2008. It’s six months before any pri­maries that mat­ter. Why get worked up? A good part of the chaff will be be blown away by either luck or strong cam­paign­ers so you won’t get your hopes up for some goo­fus. Enter­tain­ment advice: Enjoy

Security Is Observation

This week, the news­pa­per says, the town of Low­ell is installing a $1,500 Pana­sonic video cam­era on a 200-foot cell tower. It will record the “south, west, north and por­tions of the east sides” 24 hours a day. Mayor Perry Long says, “It will be used for secu­rity, not for obser­va­tion. We’re not in the

Deathly Hallowed Words

You can read here the last, first: He had no fur­ther inter­course with

There Was a Crooked Man

They offered me the office, offered me the shop They said I bet­ter take any­thing they got Do you wanna make tea at the BBC? Do you wanna be, do really wanna be a cop? Career oppor­tu­ni­ties are the ones that never knock” – from “Career Oppor­tu­ni­ties,” Joe Strummer/Mick Jones, The Clash Copy­right 2007 Ben S. Pol­lock

Lens on Fort Smith

In a Brick from a few weeks back I referred to a recent novel that had Fort Smith, Arkansas, as one of its main locales. But I hadn’t read but a few pages. It’s time to do the right thing: fin­ish and reflect. It’s A Secret Word by Jen­nifer Pad­dock, 2004, pub­lished by Touch­stone, an

What Makes America Great

From today’s Democrat-Gazette The site cur­rently under con­struc­tion isn’t a replica of the orig­i­nal build­ing, but a ‘faith­ful fac­sim­ile.’” – Tommy Jame­son, project archi­tect for Lit­tle Rock’s new Mosaic Tem­plars black his­tory museum. I’m not try­ing to advo­cate more drink­ing. I’m try­ing to get more tax rev­enue for our county.” – Richard Hodo, owner of