I went to the Little Rock Touchdown Club and heard Bobby Bowden of Florida State speak. It was outstanding. Here is an article below on his visit from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
LITTLE ROCK — Former Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden is familiar with pressure brought on by high expectations.
Two years ago, after the Seminoles finished the season 7-6, Bowden, 81, wanted to coach one more season. But he was not given that opportunity.
Florida State President T.K. Wetherell asked him to step aside as coach and stay with the team in the diminished role of university ambassador — which would have given him little input on the day-to-day operations of the football team.
Bowden declined. He announced his retirement, and Jimbo Fisher, who had been appointed as the school’s coachin-waiting two years earlier, was given the head-coaching position for the 2010 season.
“That’s just the way it is now,” Bowden told members of the media after speaking to the Little Rock Touchdown Club at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock on Monday. “I had wanted to coach one more year and try and get to 400 wins.”
Bowden retired with a career record of 377-129-4 after the NCAA forced Florida State to vacate 12 victories from the 2006-2007 seasons for academic problems with his former players.
“They are paying the head coach so much money now that they demand you to win,” Bowden said. “The thing is, head coaches make so much money now that you can retire. There aren’t going to be a lot of coaches who last as long as Joe [Paterno] and I did.”
Paterno has coached 46 years at Penn State with a 402-136-3 record.
Bowden said he made approximately $40,000 per year when he was hired at Florida State in 1976; he was making $2.5 million when he retired two years ago.
His Florida State team won 10 or more games from 1987-2000, never finished lower than fourth in the final AP poll, and won national championships in 1993 and 1999.
But during his last five seasons as coach, the Seminoles went 38-27 and only won 1 ACC championship.
“Those last few years, we didn’t do a good job evaluating players like we once did,” Bowden said. “We would see a kid we wanted, and he wasn’t as good as advertised.”
Failing to live up to expectations also cost Bowden’s sons, Terry and Tommy, their coaching jobs.
Terry Bowden posted a 47-17-1 record from 1993-1998 at Auburn, but he stepped down in 1998 with the Tigers at 1-5 and his job security up in the air.
Tommy Bowden went 72-45 at Clemson from 1999-2008, but resigned when the Tigers started the season 3-3 after being ranked ninth in the preseason Associated Press poll in 2008.
Terry Bowden is now coaching at NCAA Division II North Alabama, while Tommy Bowden is out of coaching.
Bobby Bowden still cares about Florida State football, despite not being able to retire on his own terms. The Seminoles, 2-0 and ranked fifth in this week’s AP poll, host No. 1 Oklahoma Saturday night.
Bowden also acknowledged many of other changes in college coaching, but he remains a traditionalist:
Bowden does not approve of conference realignment, but said it is inevitable.
“Texas A&M is going to leave the Big 12, and if a bunch of schools from the Big 12 leave, then it’s going to change everything,” Bowden said.
On the lack of a playoff in college football: “I don’t think we’ll have a playoff, and it won’t happen because the presidents don’t want it.”
On the coach-in-waiting concept that Florida State, Texas, Maryland and Oregon have used with mixed results: “I think it’s good for the coach-in-waiting,” Bowden said, acknowledging that the coach-in-waiting usually gets promoted or a pay raise if the school doesn’t promote him by a certain date. “The president and athletic council came up with it, and I went along with it because I was at the end of my career.”
On the value a good college football team brings to a university: “When I first came to Florida State in 1976, when I would go recruiting, the president would say, ‘When you go to Tampa, please visit this girl because she’s a straight-A student and we want her,’” Bowden said. “Four years later, we went undefeated, played in our first major bowl game and were on national television. We would take about 2,500 students every year, but were getting 5,000-6,000 applicants because a successful football team attracts students.”
This article was published today at 4:28 a.m.Sports, Pages 19 on 09/13/2011
Sixty Six who resisted “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal (Part 41)
This post today is a part of a series I am doing on the 66 Republican Tea Party favorites that resisted eating the “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal. Actually that name did not originate from a representative who agrees with the Tea Party, but from a liberal.
Rep. Emanuel Clever (D-Mo.) called the newly agreed-upon bipartisan compromise deal to raise the debt limit “a sugar-coated satan sandwich.”
“This deal is a sugar-coated satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see,” Clever tweeted on August 1, 2011.
Washington, DC – Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, a known fiscal conservative who has been standing for structural reforms in response to the deficit spending crisis, released the following statement on the new debt ceiling proposal:
“Providing for the common defense is one of the most important roles of the federal government, and is clearly required by the Constitution. At a time when we still have thousands of our men and women in the line of fire, dramatic defense cuts are simply unacceptable. In the worst case scenario, this bill could result in roughly $1 trillion in cuts to the military. Almost half of the debt ceiling increase may come at the expense of our national defense. I believe that many of my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee share my deep concerns with the defense cuts proposed in this plan.
“While Speaker Boehner and others have been negotiating in good faith, I am concerned that this new proposal may actually make it less likely that we can address the central problem of radical deficit spending. While this new proposal has a balanced budget amendment as one option for a future debt ceiling increase, I do not believe that the President or Democrats in Congress will be willing to support a balanced budget amendment while there are other paths available to them that allow for continued deficit spending.
“While some argue that a balanced budget amendment is unachievable with the current political landscape in Washington, our nation needs a balanced budget amendment now more than ever. We have had problems with deficit spending for much of our history, but we are approaching the point of no return. A balanced budget amendment would force us back on a responsible path. If not now, when? If not us, who?
“The plan before us today fails to address the problem at hand, and it threatens to severely degrade our national defense with a trillion dollars in cuts to our military. For these reasons, I am opposing this bill.”
This is “Music Monday” and I always look at a band with some of their best music. I am currently looking at Coldplay’s best songs. Here are a few followed by another person’s preference:
Speed of sound takes me back to high school and when i was leaving two a day practices. The album came out on dday june sixth 2005. I listened to the song often and i love how coldplay always uses the drums and piano to compliment each other and it shows it well in this song. Just like in the song clocks from the album, “A rush of blood to the head.” Another reason i love this song is bc of the music video. the digital lighting that they use in the back drop of the set plays well with the rythym of the music and is so simple yet so perfect.
Music video by Coldplay performing Speed of Sound. (C) 2005 EMI Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 2005 EMI Records Ltd
__________________
Wilson loves this soccer video of the best French footballer:
Coldplay is a British alternative band that has been around since 1998. The band has produced five albums and sold around 50 million albums. The socially active band whose lead singer Chris Martin is married to actress Gwyenth Paltrow has produced some extremely popular songs, but many of the less popular songs deserve high praise as well. This below compilation is my view of the top 10 songs by Coldplay.
1. Yellow-This 2000 song released as a single from the album Parachutes was inspired by the beautiful stars in the sky that the band saw one night during a break from recording. The song begins saying “Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do”. Stars have always seemed to inspire poetic beauty and this would especially be a perfect song to serenade your love. After writing the song Martin felt that there was some word missing. While searching for inspiration within the recording studio Martin saw a Yellow Pages book, and the word ‘Yellow’ filled the missing void. ‘Yellow’ helped surge Coldplay into mainstream popularity and set the stage for future hits.
2. In my place- This 2002 song from Coldplay’s second album “A Rush of Blood To the Head” won best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal at the 45thGrammys. The song features a beautiful soothing melody while Martin sings about a man’s unreciprocated love for a woman. ‘In my place’ that is where he will be waiting for his love to come to him if she changes her mind. If ‘Yellow’ is the song you want to serenade your love with, then ‘In my place’ is the song you listen to after a breakup
3. The Scientist- “The Scientist” was another single the band released in 2002 (in the UK) and 2003 in the US from the album “A Rush of Blood to the Head”. The scientist referred to in the rather odd title is not really mentioned in the song but instead it alludes to science “Questions of science, Science and progress, Do not speak as loud as my heart.” This piano ballad shows off Martin’s beautiful voice and nice falsetto. This emotional song also has a very interesting music video implementing reverse narrative and Martin actually had to learn to sing the song backwards. The Scientist won a few MTV VMA awards and received a 2004 Grammy nomination.
4. Clocks- This 2003 song also off the album “A Rush of Blood To The Head” won the 2004 Grammy for Record of the year. However, originally the song was not intended for this album since 10 songs were already on “A Rush of Blood To the Head” and Clocks was left to be included on Album #3. This song, like others from the band, sings about a dysfunctional relationship asking about “Am I a part of the cure/Or am I part of the disease?” But where exactly does the title Clocks come from? In poetry and song clocks have always been associated with time, change, and even death. The lyrics seem to suggest that time is running out with few options “Confusion never stops, Closing walls and ticking clocks”. While the lyrics are great, my favorite part of the song is the piano melody especially at the beginning and when Martin again hits a falsetto for the long “yooooooooooooo ohhhhhh Yoooooooooooo ohhhhhh” that nearly sends chills down your spine
5. Speed of sound-This song released in 2005 is off the album X&Y and won an award for Best British single in 2006. The piano based melody and the beauty of Chris Martin’s voice make this song very soothing and almost hypnotic. Martin stated the lyrics of this song were inspired by a feeling of awe and wonder after the birth of his daughter Apple. The lyrics also allude to faith in what cannot be seen “If you could see it then you’d understand/ah when you see it then you’ll understand.”
6. Viva la Vida- This is one of the more recent song on the list was released in 2008 and reached number 1 on Billboard Hot 100. Viva la Vida which means ‘live the life’ in Spanish also won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2009. The musical composition of the song is somewhat different because it is more upbeat and implements strings and percussion as opposed to the typical Coldplay songs that use piano or guitar. The rhythm is very catchy and the lyrics are some of the most interesting I have recently heard. I never could actually figure out half of the things that were being said in the song until I researched the lyrics. Basically the song is about a King who once was on top of everything but now ‘sweeps the streets he used to own’. It also includes religious undertones saying “I know St. Peter won’t call my name”. In an interview with Q magazine Martin said the idea of your life being judged once you’re dead was always fascinating to him and it’s a common theme in all religions. Since St. Peter won’t call his name, apparently the King was not so good possibly because he never had as he says ‘an honest word’.
7. Fix you-This song from the X&Y album wasn’t as popular as other Coldplay songs but has some of the most beautiful lyrics. The song was supposedly written for Martin’s wife Paltrow after her father died, but the song is can be very comforting in times of tragedy, hardship or a broken heart. The song uses an organ at the beginning that had been given to Martin by Paltrow’s father, but he didn’t discover how beautiful a sound it made until he played it after his death. However, despite whatever hardship whoever listening may have, there are words of encouragement “Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.”
8. Violet Hill- This song also from the 2008 album X&Y and can be viewed as an anti-war song. The song is from a soldier’s point of view essentially about politics, war, and religious hypocrisy. The soldiers don’t want to be used for a cause that they don’t believe in “I don’t want to be a soldier/ with the captain of some sinking ship.” Violet Hill not only borrows rhythms from The Beatles but the road Violet Hill is actually near Abbey Road. I especially like the decrescendo at the end with only the piano and Martin softly singing. I also suggest everyone see the dancing politician’s version to this song on youtube. Overall though, Beautiful melody, beautiful lyrics…What’s not to love?
9. Gravity- This song was written by Martin and performed live by Coldplay in 2002 but ultimately the song was given to the band Embrace. Coldplay re-recorded this song in 2005 and it makes one wonder why the song was not always kept with them. This song is simple, with mainly the piano and Martin singing for the first five minutes and some drums and background singers added in after that, but the simplicity remains. This song is peaceful and soothing and could definitely put you to sleep, but not out of boredom.
10. Trouble- This 2000 song from the “Parachutes” album was written as a result of Martin’s reflection about his own bad behavior. Once again, the song begins with Martin singing and playing the piano. There is something very magical about his voice in this song, almost haunting. If someone asked for an apology through writing and performing this song, how could you not forgive them?
Most Coldplay fans will be familiar with all of these songs. However, for those of you who are just casual listeners of the band, you should definitely add these songs to your Ipod and you may change from a casual to avid fan.
The Broyles Award Trophy, made out of solid bronze, depicts Broyles (kneeling) and longtime University of Arkansas assistant coach Wilson Matthews (standing), watching over a Razorback football game or practice. Matthews was the coach of Little Rock Central High School before joining Broyles on the Razorback’s staff.
______________
Today at the Little Rock Touchdown Club Luncheon, Bobby Bowden spoke, but before he spoke, David Bazell announced that Bowden is the newest member of the Broyles Award Selection Committee. The committee includes Frank Broyles, Don James, Vince Dooley, Haden Fry, Dick MacPherson, Grant Teaff, and LaVell Edwards.
The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men’s athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Bowden told a funny story about the 1980 victory at Nebraska. He pointed out that Nebraska was ranked #3 and was expected to possibly win the national championship. At that time Florida State had not won a game against a top 5 team yet, and FSU went into the game as big underdogs. In fact, the week before FSU had lost 10-9 in a game where they had been heavily favored because of the 10 fumbles they had because their first and second team centers had season ending injuries.
In practice the next week Bowden got several players together to compete for the starting center position and it was won by a walk-on player. The next game against Nebraska, Florida State had no turnovers while Nebraska had 4 and Florida State came away with a 18-14 victory.
Bowden noted that the walk-on center was horrible at blocking, but he was very dependable at providing good snaps. Bowden uses this illustration when he talks to business people to encourage them to seek dependable employees.
Bowden asserted, “That will always go down in my book not neccessarily my favorite win, but probably the most important win in Florida State’s modern day history.”
Below you will see a clip that discusses that 1980 matchup and you will notice that former Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring is interviewed twice in the 4 minute clip. Herring played on the FSU defense.
In 2006 I went to the Shiloh Christian at Bauxite playoff game in Saline County. It was a cold night, and I noticed Gus Malzahn and several other notable persons at the game. Arkansas had played LSU earlier in the day in Little Rock. During the second half I saw a monster hit by a linebacker from Shiloh, and I exclaimed, “Who was that guy?” The gentleman next to me who was wearing a ski mask responded, “That is my son Adam Herring.” I had been standing next to Reggie Herring for 2 hours and did not even know it.
Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times caught up with Congressman Tim Griffin at the Razorback game. I got a picture of my son Wilson with the Congressman and enjoyed the Chickfila served at the Congressman’s tailgate. I was told that Senator Boozman had a tailgate but I did not run across it.
Since Max showed up briefly to get this picture, I wish I would have a chance to visit with me. Although we are from the opposite sides of the fence politically, it would my pleasure to tell him that he runs the most informative blog in Arkansas. I have talked to many conservatives who have admitted that very thing to me on many occasions.
Sixty Six who resisted “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal (Part 40)
This post today is a part of a series I am doing on the 66 Republican Tea Party favorites that resisted eating the “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal. Actually that name did not originate from a representative who agrees with the Tea Party, but from a liberal.
Rep. Emanuel Clever (D-Mo.) called the newly agreed-upon bipartisan compromise deal to raise the debt limit “a sugar-coated satan sandwich.”
“This deal is a sugar-coated satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see,” Clever tweeted on August 1, 2011.
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack (MN-8) issued the following statement after the House approved the Budget Control Act of 2011:
“I could not support the amended Budget Control Act passed by the House this evening. While I applaud this bi-partisan effort to avert a default on our nation’s debt, the measure approved by the House does very little to reduce our bloated deficit; it merely slows its growth. This legislation will not ensure our nation’s AAA credit rating nor provide for a Balanced Budget Amendment before the debt limit is raised. Regrettably, this compromise risks cuts to seniors’ Medicare and veterans’ benefits, and up to a 50% cut to military funding – all the while the U.S is conducting three military operations abroad and China continues to emerge as a global super power and rival model of governance.
We must do betterto protect our nation’s prosperity for future generations.
Just recently, I voted for ‘cut, cap, and balance’ and to raise the debt ceiling; however, I gave my word to advocate the core, fiscally conservative principles my constituents in the 8th District entrusted upon me last November. I will remain an independent voice in Washington – if the numbers don’t add up, I’m not voting for it.”
I welcome the input from those that read my blog. Recently I received some criticism from readers and Jordan is probably more of the most vocal. He wrote today, “I hardly see a ‘tragic’ death as you call it, a morally sound reason to throw in people’s faces what drugs do to people…You know as well as I do that no one is going to go to this website on this post and be looking for a way to help teenagers and young adults quit drugs.”
I do think that people are always reading the news of the day, and many people have a problem with drugs or alcohol or they have a close family member or friend that does. They come to my website to read up on the news and maybe I will have a chance to show them some hope with the obstacles they face in these two areas.
Jordan also has a problem with bringing God into the picture in these matters. Most recoveries from drug and alcohol does involve God. You can look it up yourself and see that is so.
Many who are involved with drugs feel God is mad with them and the last thing they want to do is go to church to seek God. Here is this clip below is the story of a lady who thought that way but when she went to church her whole life turned around.
Earlier some people were critical of me because I brought up the tragic deaths of the members of the “27 club.” However, if you are currently involved with drugs then need to see what the end result may be. Below you will see an another discussion of the “27 club” with an article posted at the end of the post: “What is the purpose of your life?” I wish these members of the “27 Club” had read this article while they were living and maybe their deaths could have been avoided. According to their own writings many of them were actively saying how unhappy they were even though they had riches and fame.
Depending on your preference, The 27s is a pop culture phenomenon, a weird curse, or a statistical anomaly. Excess and tragedy are the stuff of music legend, but it is only with hindsight that deeper patterns emerge. None of these is more striking than the deaths at age 27 of some of the greatest musicians of our time.
More famous musicians have died at the age of 27 than any other age. More than three dozen rockers, from Delta bluesmaster Robert Johnson to Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain.
The 27s also include crooner Jesse Belvin (“Earth Angel,” “Goodnight My Love”), Rudy Lewis of the Drifters, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Malcolm Hale of Spanky And Our Gang, Alan Wilson from Canned Heat, Arlester Christian of Dyke And the Blazers, Jim Morrison, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead, Pete Ham of Badfinger, Gary Thain of Uriah Heep and Keef Hartley Band, Roger Lee Durham of Bloodstone, Helmut Köllen of Triumvirat, Chris Bell of Big Star, D. Boon of Minutemen, Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen, Mia Zapata of the Gits, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Kristin Pfaff of Hole, Raymond “Freaky Tah” Rogers of Lost Boyz, Sean McCabe of Ink & Dagger, Jeremy Michael Ward of De Facto and The Mars Volta, Bryan Ottoson of American Head Charge, and Valentin Elizalde.
Singer Amy Winehouse performs during the MTV Europe Awards ceremony in Munich in this November 1, 2007 file photo. Winehouse has been found dead at her home in north London, Sky News reported on July 23, 2011.
Known as the “27 Club”, Winehouse joins rock legends legends Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Brian Jones, who all died at the age of 27.
Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
The lead singer of band Nirvana, Cobain had a well-known addiction to heroin, and battled with depression. He died in 1994, aged 27, when his body was found by an electrician who had come to install a security system at his house.
He was found with a shotgun, and it was ruled he died from a gunshot wound to the head. The death was concluded to be suicide, although a private investigator hired by wife Courtney Love hinted that the death was in fact murder.
Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
The lead singer of rock band The Doors was found dead in his bath in a Paris flat in 1971, aged 27. Medics that first examined Morrison reported the death as heart failure and ruled out foul play. Therefore, no official post-mortem was ever carried out into the death.
Friends of the star, however, have claimed he died of a drug overdose. Others have said he suffered from a respiratory condition that had led to him coughing up blood, which he may have choked on.
Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
Hendrix died in 1970, aged 27. An official post-mortem ruled that he choked on his own vomit. However, recently it was claimed he was murdered. James Wright, a roadie with the Animals, made the murder claim in a book. He wrote that Mike Jeffrey, Hendrix’s manager, had admitted that Hendrix had been killed because he wanted to terminate his management contract. It later emerged that Wright made up the claim to boost book sales.
Brian Jones (1942-1969)
Guitar expert and one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones, Jones died in 1969, again aged 27. He became known for his heavy drug addiction, and was replaced in the bank in 1969 by Mick Taylor. Just weeks later, Jones was found dead in a swimming pool in Sussex, England.
A coroner noted that the rock star’s liver and heart were greatly enlarged at the time of death; indicating heavy drug and alcohol use.
To add controversy to his death, it was later claimed that Jones was killed by his builder, Frank Thorogood because of a debt. Thorogood was said to have confessed the killing just prior to his death in 1993. However, police took no action on the claims.
Like most people, you may have wondered why you are here on Earth. Do you think your existence is an accident or are you here for a reason? Is there some purpose for your life? According to the Bible, you are not a mistake and you were created by God for a reason.
Created For A Reason
The main reason God created you is to make you part of His eternal plan (Romans 8:28-29). God wants us to be in Heaven with Him and to tell people about Him. His plan is for every person to be saved from their sin and Hell and to spend eternity with Him (2 Peter 3:9). Unfortunately, some people choose to live their own way and abandon God’s plan for their life (Proverbs 14:12).
What Are You Living For?
Most people seem to believe that the main purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment. Are you living for things such as money, fame, success, fun, possessions and power? The wise King Solomon accomplished many great things and had all that anyone could desire, yet described it all as meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:2). How about you? Are you more consumed with the pleasures of life than what happens to your soul when you die? The Bible says “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul” (Mark 8:36)?
Life Is Short Compared To Eternity
Hopefully, you would agree that what happens to you eternally is far more important than what happens to you on Earth. Think about the word eternity. That is far beyond trillions and trillions times longer than our earthly life. It is so hard to even comprehend that concept because it never ends. You may have a great life or a terrible life on Earth, but either way it will come to an end someday. Then, you will spend everlasting life in either Heaven or Hell (Matthew 25:46). Please think carefully about where you will go after you die as it can happen any day.
The Problem
Too many people assume they will go to Heaven when they die based on their own concept of God. The reason why everybody can’t spend eternity in Heaven is because sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2). You have rebelled against God and committed a sin every time you broke one of God’s commandments by stealing something, telling a lie, hating somebody, disobeying your parents, having a lustful thought, or countless other things. God hates sin and will severely judge each and every one of your sins. Just being a good person or believing in God won’t erase your sin either. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
The Good News
The good news is that no matter how severe your sins are, God made a way for you to be forgiven and be declared innocent on judgment day. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Being a good person or being religious won’t rescue you from your sin. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The word grace means “undeserved favor”. Your sin separated you from a perfect and sinless God, but Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and later rose back to life (Matthew 28:5-6) so you can have everlasting life in Heaven. Even though none of us deserve Heaven, God was kind enough to make a way for us.
Receiving Forgiveness
It is not enough to just believe that Jesus died for your sins. You must personally trust in Jesus to save you from the penalty of your sin (Romans 8:1-4). You must also be willing to repent (turn from) your sin (Luke 13:5) and follow Jesus as Lord of your life (Romans 10:9-10). Doing this mends your broken relationship with God and allows you access into Heaven.
Live For God
You were created to know God and to live for Him. That is why you exist. Only then does your life have the meaning and purpose God intended for you. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). To live your life for the glory of God means that you will love, obey, worship, please, and trust Him. This should not be a burden, but a pleasure because of what He means to you.
The Choice Is Yours
You never know how much time you have left on this Earth and nothing is more important than where you spend eternity. Hopefully, you will decide to follow Jesus so your life can be used to glorify God. Please make this choice right away, because after you die it will be too late.
I welcome the input from those that read my blog. Recently I received some criticism from readers and Jordan is probably more of the most vocal. He wrote today, “I hardly see a ‘tragic’ death as you call it, a morally sound reason to throw in people’s faces what drugs do to people…You know as […]
In today’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Linda Caillouet wrote: LITTLE ROCK — When news broke of the death of Dexter Williams over the Labor Day weekend at a Maumelle home visited by then-KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, most local news media reported details from the police report. This newspaper, KATV and KTHV reported that police said the body of […]
What started out on Sunday night September 4 as a local story now has grabbed national attention through both CNN and Fox News. Brett Cummins, 33, is seen in a photo on the website of Little Rock station KARK-TV. Cummins works as a meteorologist for the station. Police Probe Death of Arkansas Man Found in […]
KATV reported: Ark. weatherman quits after found with body in tub Posted: Sep 09, 2011 5:45 PM CDTUpdated: Sep 09, 2011 6:00 PM CDT By JEANNIE NUSS Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – An attorney for an Arkansas meteorologist who was found in a hot tub with a dead body earlier this week says his client […]
I have mentioned before that I thought it was sad that KARK ignored the fact that Brett Cummins was snorting coke with the young man, Dexter Williams, on Sunday night and that Williams died as a result. Now at least the other stations in the Little Rock Market have been covering the story. Rival Stations […]
KARK’s website includes these words: Thursday afternoon, Brett Cummins released the following statement to CNN through his attorney: Brett Cummins is devastated by the tragic death of his friend Dexter Williams and extends his sincere condolences to Dexter’s family. They remain foremost in his thoughts and prayers. Mr. Cummins deeply regrets the grief this incident […]
Today’s THV channel 11 in Little Rock reported: MAUMELLE, Ark. (AP) – An attorney for a local meteorologist says no foul play was involved in the death of a 24-year-old Mountain Pine man. Little Rock-based lawyer Mark Hampton said Thursday that KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins is innocent. Authorities say Cummins and the body of 24-year-old […]
Drugs and alcohol have always been a pitfall that many of the wealthy fall into. We see rock bands that become famous have lots of temptations thrown their way and many fall into these traps. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and Barry McGuire fell into these traps. One joined the “27 Club” and the other left the […]
The recent events in Little Rock concerning KARK TV’s top weatherman Brett Cummins and his experience of drinking alcohol and snorting coke has left a lot of people asking questions. Since the evening ended in the tragic death of one of Brett’s friends, Dexter Williams, many questions have centered on the use of illegal drugs. […]
These are some pictures of Dexter Williams. Unfortunately his life was cut short while drinking and snorting coke with KARK weatherman Brett Cummins. (Cummins has resigned as of Friday.) Dexter Williams (Photo from family) Dexter Paul Williams (facebook photo) Related posts: Why won’t KARK cover Brett Cummins story better? September 9, 2011 – 10:01 am I […]
Heritage’s experts watched President Barack Obama’s jobs speech delivered to a joint session of Congress. Here are some of their immediate reactions:
Obama’s False Choice – and Missed Opportunity – on Regulations
The President tonight missed an opportunity to constructively address one of the major problems facing the economy: regulation.
After acknowledging that “there are some rules and regulations that put an unnecessary burden on businesses, and claiming credit for the small steps taken so far toward reform, he then slipped into a rhetorical — and rather cartoonish — description of the issue.
“What we can’t do,” he said, “is let this economic crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades. I reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and their safety.”
But no one is suggesting that any basic protections be erased — instead the pressing need now is to stop the tidal wave of regulation — costing almost $40 billion dollars — that has swamped Americans and the economy since the president was elected.
From lightbulbs to the Internet, from guitars to health care, Washington has imposed new rules. It is time to stem this flow. This need not be a partisan issue – both sides agree the current rulebooks are too fat. But demagoguery and rhetoric will get us no closer to a solution.
– James Gattuso
The Futility of Infrastructure Banks
Building and repairing roads and bridges neither creates net job growth nor boosts the economy in the near term.
First, increasing government spending on these projects simply moves resources from one place to another — it may employ construction workers, but only by reducing jobs in other sectors. Further, the money never gets out the door soon enough to promote near-term job growth: “shovel-ready” projects are not nearly so shovel ready as they may seem, as the President himself recently acknowledged.
Further, the infrastructure bank the President proposes would require a whole new bureaucracy that would only increase the central government control over transportation — which would be consistent with the President’s government takeover of health care, student loans, financial markets, and other sectors.?
Senator Mark Pryor wants our ideas on how to cut federal spending. Take a look at this video clip below:
Senator Pryor has asked us to send our ideas to him at cutspending@pryor.senate.gov and I have done so in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
On May 11, 2011, I emailed to this above address and I got this email back from Senator Pryor’s office:
Please note, this is not a monitored email account. Due to the sheer volume of correspondence I receive, I ask that constituents please contact me via my website with any responses or additional concerns. If you would like a specific reply to your message, please visit http://pryor.senate.gov/contact. This system ensures that I will continue to keep Arkansas First by allowing me to better organize the thousands of emails I get from Arkansans each week and ensuring that I have all the information I need to respond to your particular communication in timely manner. I appreciate you writing. I always welcome your input and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to contact me on any issue of concern to you in the future.
I just did. I went to the Senator’s website and sent this to him.
I think that it would be easy to save eight billion dollars a year by privatizing the Post Office. This should be an easy decision.
The United States Postal Service has lost over $20 billion since 2006 and is projected to lose another $8 billion this year. Government Mail is about to max out its $15 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury, and it faces $66 billion in unfunded obligations due to excessive labor costs. With more and more people using email, sending text messages and paying their bills online, the Postal Service’s long-term prospects are undeniably bleak.
Although USPS management has been able to cut costs, the savings haven’t been nearly enough to stem the rising tide of red ink. If the USPS were a private business, it might be able adapt to the rapidly changing economic landscape and evolve into a viable commercial entity. But it’s not a private business — it’s a branch of the federal government. As a result, the USPS has been hopelessly hamstrung by constant meddling from politicians, as exemplified by the difficulty the USPS faces when trying to close post offices.
Postal management announced this week that it will weigh the closure of 3,700 of its 32,000 post offices, hoping to save $200 million a year. Those savings are miniscule compared to the $8 billion alone that the USPS will lose this year, but it’s a start.
Unfortunately, there’s a very good chance that those members of Congress whose districts will be affected by a post office closure will raise a stink. In 2009, for example, the USPS looked at closing 3,200 post offices. Following a congressional outcry, the number under consideration was reduced to a mere 140. Two years later, only 80 have actually been closed.
The USPS is required to provide services to all communities, including areas where post offices have low traffic and are not cost-effective. Before closing a post office, the USPS must provide customers with at least 60 days of notice before the proposed closure date, and any person served by the post office may appeal its closure to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The USPS cannot close a post office “solely for operating at a deficit.” That’s a problem because four out of five post offices are operating at a loss.
Can anyone seriously imagine any other business not being able to close a store or factory for “solely operating at a deficit”? That would be a recipe for bankruptcy. While the USPS is structured like a business — revenues from the sale of postal products are supposed to cover costs and it receives virtually no federal appropriations — Congress prevents it from actually operating like a private business by inhibiting its ability to reduce costs, improve efficiency or innovate.
Postal management is attempting to head off the inevitable congressional interference by creating “Village Post Offices” in the communities affected by the closings. Local businesses, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, would be allowed to offer postal products and services. This makes sense because whereas post offices used to generate almost all postal retail revenue, 35 percent is now generated through alternative channels like USPS.com, self-service kiosks and private stores.
Closing post offices is a small step towards cutting costs and “rationalizing” the retail network, which the USPS management recognizes as critical. However, that won’t be enough to overcome economic reality — let alone the control freaks in Congress. Ultimately, if the USPS is to continue operating like a business instead of becoming just another taxpayer-funded bureaucracy, Congress is going to have to hand the reins over to the private sector. That means privatizing the United States Postal Service.
LITTLE ROCK — Desperate for anything substantive about Arkansas, the upcoming game against Troy is actually anticipated.
Embracing the contest with the Trojans results from watching Arkansas overwhelm inferior New Mexico on Saturday and Missouri State in the season opener, knowing that Troy is a consistent winner, albeit in the Sun Belt Conference. Missouri State spotted the Razorbacks 22 scholarship players in the opener; on Saturday night, the Lobos and Razorbacks were equal only in the number of scholarships.
The Razorbacks were so superior that they led 31-3 at the half although one possession ended with a missed field goal and another with an interception. Production from the running backs was minuscule until the game was out of hand and quarterback Tyler Wilson was pressured more than expected.
After two games, Arkansas’ running attack remains a mystery. At intermission, Wilson was the leading rusher with 48 yards. Next was wide receiver Joe Adams with 33. De’Anthony Curtis and Ronnie Wingo Jr. had five carries each for a total of 23 yards.
A week earlier, Bobby Petrino admitted he did not have the patience to run the ball when the Bears were conceding the pass. Arkansas was credited with 18 running plays and 26 pass plays in the first half against the Lobos, but a couple of the runs were scrambles by Wilson.
Unlike Missouri State and New Mexico, Troy has a recent history of winning, recording eight or more Ws each of the past five years. Troy quarterback Corey Robinson is recognizable, maybe because he beat Sun Belt opponent Arkansas State University with a TD pass in the last minute in 2010.
Arkansas is the only team in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference to start the season with two pushovers. The other five teams in the division played either a conference game or Penn State or Oregon or Brigham Young.
Barely 10 minutes deep in Saturday’s game, Arkansas led by 11. After a fake field goal was stuffed by the Razorbacks early in the second quarter, the gap widened to a final of 52-3.
On this particular weekend, the patriotic pig in the middle of the field and the alternating sections of red and white, plus the students clad in blue, reminded that there are life-and-death issues that rise far above football.
Petrino showed off a couple of wrinkles early, plays that upcoming opponents will see and heed. Right out of the box, wide receiver Adams lined up at tailback, took a pitch, and made 15 yards. Next, the flow went left and Tyler Wilson netted 30 on a naked bootleg.
On the other side, the offense’s uneven performance will provide Petrino with some points of emphasis.
Very proficient on no-stress passes in the opener, Wilson forced some throws while on the move against the Lobos. With a first down at the New Mexico 5, his pass was deflected by one of several defenders in the area.
Two plays later, he started forward, but slowed and chose to challenge the three defenders between him and his target, Adams. Prior to that series, Wilson threw an interception and had his fumble recovered by center Travis Swanson.
PRINT PAGE
CITE THIS
