Categories
The Course of Words

Death by Edit

A news release from the public relations office of the University of Arkansas, the “University Relations,” recently announced that noted writer Ellen Gilchrist, of the UA Creative Writing and Translation Program, had an essay published in last November’s Smithsonian Magazine, “Watching Water Run: My Kind of Town.” The essay is vivid; she explains why she […]

Categories
News, Spin

Thumb

It’s another skirmish between Israel and the Palestinians: “EILAT, Israel (AP) — A Palestinian suicide bomber killed three Israelis at a bakery Monday in the first such attack inside the country in nine months, and the two radical groups that claimed to have sent him said they were trying to end weeks of Palestinian infighting […]

Categories
Brick Bats Reportage

Peek at Peak, Pique Experiences

Pinnacle Hills Promenade, the new shopping center in Rogers inspired by The Truman Show, is wonderful to mock. It features Muzak-like music via outdoor Bose speakers. It markets itself as upscale while including tenants like Payless Shoes and Dairy Queen. Sunday marked my fourth visit — and the first time My Beloved and I visited […]

Categories
The Course of Words

State of Deniers

Copyright 2007 Ben S. Pollock Saturday was the 62nd Nazi Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the Soviet army’s liberation of Auschwitz in 1945. The holiday was set up a long time ago by the United Nations. It’s not a sis-boom-bah holiday of course; if compassionate Americans note it at all, it’s like Flag […]

Categories
News, Spin

Cast bread upon the voters

It’s not fair to blow up a quotation of a state legislator, even adding context to show that he or she probably did mean it the way it sounded. But when remarks fall into your lap, courtesy of alert journalists, who can resist? I have written previously about opposing the repeal of Arkansas charging sales […]

Categories
News, Spin

Fish in a Pork Barrel

If one wanted to blog observations — the more daily and more local the better — the time to start imprinting the habit couldn’t be better than one’s state Legislature’s general session. Forking pickles from a bucket. I hate easy pickin’s. So I’m hoping to just focus on matters that just might become law, not […]