Tag Archives: Arkansas

Seven More States Gain Approval for Exchanges

California was not the only state to gain approval for its health insurance exchange today. There were seven other states who also got their exchanges approved by the federal government. This brings the total up to 20! The Affordable Care Act is great big health reform law that has many parts. One requirement is that all states will have a health insurance exchange that is functional and accessible by January 1, 2014. Although the Affordable Care Act was signed in 2010, it is only recently that some states have completed the appropriate work involved to have their exchanges approved by … Continue reading →

Johnny Depp Supports Release of West Memphis Three

I’ve blogged before about the West Memphis Three. This is the name given to those found guilty of a terrible crime that sticks out in my mind because it happened just across the Mississippi River from my native Memphis. In 1993, three young boys were brutally murdered in West Memphis, Ark. In 1994, three teenagers – Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley – were convicted of the murders. Baldwin and Misskelley received life sentences while Echols was sentenced to die. Since those convictions, there has been nothing but controversy about this case. Some say that it was a witch … Continue reading →

Is there a Kris Allen Scandal Brewing?

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If you watched the season finale of “American Idol,” you may have been shocked that low keyed, humble Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert, the obvious forerunner since – well, about the first day on the big stage. Oddly enough, Kris Allen was surprised when Kris Allen was named the newest American Idol. Now, the New York Times thinks Allen had a little extra help from AT&T in winning the title. Some fans in Arkansas could use their mobile phones to cast blocks of votes for Allen. However, AT&T didn’t provide the same option for Lambert’s fans. Maybe AT&T thought he … Continue reading →

American Idol’s Underdog Kris Allen

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Kris Allen snuck into the final thirteen of “American Idol.” I don’t remember seeing his original audition or much, if any, of him during the famed Hollywood week. When he was announced as one of the top thirteen, I think a lot of people went “Huh?” But, Allen has proved his worth by making it to tonight’s finale. Call him the Little Singer that Could. Allen has outlasted everyone else except powerhouse Adam Lambert to make it to the finale. Allen and Lambert’s styles are quite different. Allen looks humble up on the stage no matter what he is doing, … Continue reading →

Sacha Baron Cohen Punks Arkansas

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Let me start this blog out by saying I once lived in Arkansas when my dear husband was a recruiter. And, the people there don’t mess around and from what I saw, don’t particular like to be pranked. However, that is just what Sacha Baron Cohen of Borat fame seems to have done. Fans bought tickets to what they thought was a cage fight which offered $1 beers, but that isn’t what they got. Once the fans arrived to the Fort Smith convention center on June 5th, they didn’t get the “Blue Collar Brawlin” they expected, but two guys who … Continue reading →

More Wild and Wacky Family Friendly Festivals

With the price of gas skyrocketing to record levels some families are opting to postpone their annual road trips to the end of summer in hopes that the cost of fuel will decrease after the busy Memorial Day weekend. Heck, I know one family who has put the brakes on their summer vacation and instead will be hitting the road in late September for an extended getaway. If you have plans to do the same then you might be interested in purusing the following list of weird and wacky events that will be taking place around the country this fall: … Continue reading →

Disaster Strikes Arkansas

Living in the South, tornadoes are common occurrences. We have had some serious close calls, as well as some storm damage in the past, but Tuesday’s tornadoes were once again too close for comfort. Many homes and businesses mere moments from our home are literally gone. We didn’t expect to spend the evening of Super Tuesday taking cover in a local Wal-Mart with a tornado on the ground four minutes from that location. We didn’t expect to be sitting along the side of the highway in an extreme lightning storm waiting for downed power lines to be removed, on the … Continue reading →

Historic Arkansas Hotel Reopens for Business

If you are looking for luxury in Little Rock, Arkansas, I have good news for you. After two years and more than $24 million worth of renovations the historic Capital Hotel is open for business. The downtown property is welcoming back guests in high style. If you are a loyal Capital patron don’t fret about the hotel losing its Victorian charm. That’s still intact. It just added a few extra amenities to go along with it. The historic hotel has added modern touches, such as wireless Internet and flat-screen TVs and it’s also sporting 236 new windows. In addition, its … Continue reading →

Weird and Wacky Travel Tales

Yet another reason why you should NOT send text messages while you are driving… A man in Eugene, Oregon learned that lesson the hard way. The really hard way. As in slamming-into-a-freight-train-with-a-car hard way. According to police reports, the man was texting a pal from his cellphone while he was driving his car. At one point he looked up from his message and saw a freight train. Eugene police say the man tried to brake for the train, but it was too close and he crashed his car into the side of the Union Pacific freight train about 2 a.m. … Continue reading →

Weird And Wacky Family Friendly Festivals

If you think the only family friendly activities held in the fall are ones that deal with hay, pumpkins and apples, think again. Try worms and beans. I’ve got the lowdown on some weird and wacky festivals taking place around the country. And, some advice—before you snub your noses at the following “unique” events know that thousands of people travel thousands of miles to attend these unusual fests. Woolly Worm Festival – Banner Elk, North Carolina And you thought the only racing that drew crowds in North Carolina was NASCAR… Not in Banner Elk, North Carolina. October means Woolly Worm … Continue reading →