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Life continues in the 'too much of a good thing' vein <smile>. Most especially the weather, which has been lovely with early-Autumn coolness and sunshine mixed with showers of late. Sweater-weather, as we used to say up-North. My favorite time of year. Anyway...
One new posting which warrants attention, MEDIA, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, POLITICS & PRAGMATISM, originated as a couple of private email discussions about infusing 'political/promotional' outreach with ethical pragmatism and I encourage you to turn your preferred candidates on to it. Expressed therein (near the end of this long diatribe) are also some of my thoughts on education reform, which you may find interesting.
Links to more recourses have recently been posted to our Energy, Ecology, Economy & Recycling index page, which I equally urge you to share with every candidate of your choice.
And finally for this time around, following is from an email pass-along submitted to Gozarks Associate Editor and full-time editor/publisher of ACH, Michael C. Kelley. It made me laugh so hard I was glad I had not recently taken a laxative <grin>:
Amazingly Simple Home Remedies
egads... Also, much journalistic 'behind the scenes' work has been afoot. For starters, we at Gozarks continue to look into the odd state of affairs surrounding electric cooperatives in general and our local Petit Jean Coop in particular. The avid reader will recall that months ago the editor of Gozarks (that would be myself, Christine Beems), made a cobblered vault at getting on the ballot as a candidate for election as a member of that board of directors and that was pretty much where conversation on this topic in this column came to a halt. There was a reason for this, being mainly that I -- as a journalist -- took a long askance look at events which unfolded from that point... doing my best to extract my professional persona from the unusual (to my experience) conundrum which unfolded before me -- the person who is a member of this cooperative and chose to exercise my membership rights in the pursuit of elected office. There were many reasons I'd decided to seek this quasi-public office, most outstanding among which relate to my appreciation of and knowledge about energy conservation, the significance thereof to the wellbeing of our shared community, my love of 'cooperative' systems of self-governance, a genuine belief that I have something worthwhile to contribute to the process and a growing body of what certainly looks to my journalist's eyes like 'evidence' that (to quote one legal expert I consulted on the matter) "something is wrong." Thus the conundrum: To separate the journalist from the person... a task necessary to enable detached perspective and, when one's self is an engaged element in a context of various events, quite essential to do... in context of which all that I am willing to say right now is that I will be saying more about this soon and if you wish to be kept abreast of such matters, please sign up for Gozarks Petit Jean Electric Cooperative Members Special Topical Announcements list. On political fronts, I met the Green Party's gubernatorial candidate the other day at a casual, social, buffet dinner hosted in a private home. I even took pictures...
Anecdotal note: My entire editorial staff is off having Saturday night fun and I am here in our office abode blissfully along... stereo blaring... finally with a moment of time and space to devote to tending some long overdue thoughts. Makes me so appreciative of the sanctuary of 'private time'. It can, you know, take hours and days to think whole thoughts.... but anyway...
Soft spoken, articulate on significant issues, self-determined, deliberate and thoughtful, Lendall is by profession a Registered Nurse in practice at Arkansas Children's Hospital since 1985 and has served our state honorably as a legislator for more than a couple of years. If I were Lendall's campaign manager I'd be inclined to tell him that he and Smith should play-up the Deadwood hairstyles and beards with an appropriately accessorized wardrobe, circa Wild Bill Hickok. Something with fringe-topped leather boots, a deer-hide jacket and a bowie knife slung from the hip... although I have the sense that this type of braggadocio promotional swagger is not in either man's character... which may, in context of the crossroads our American political/election-machine is at today, prove to be the Greens downfall or saving grace. I met Mike Beebe, Democratic candidate for that same post, a while back at some type of community event in Clinton, the name of which escapes me now. Though our conversation was not as extended as the one I had with Lendall, I found what there was of it to be equally substantive. Thus I would also classify Mike as a good guy. I have not yet met -- though will if the opportunity arises -- Asa Hutchinson, the Republican candidate. However I confess that after looking over his "Issues" page and strictly as a voter I would not be able to vote for him as I see nothing of any compelling virtue thereon. That is, for one example, according to his talking points "Asa Hutchinson has been a strong advocate for strategies to increase energy supplies by promoting biodiesel and biofuels, expanding refinery capacity, and expanding the use of nuclear energy in Arkansas and nationwide." And I believe that all of us would say (nuclear issues aside) that increasing our energy supplies by and through increased reliance on sustainable technologies is a good thing, right...? What I would ask, however, is if Asa has been a such a strong advocate of all these wonderful energy-increasing strategies for (presumably) a long, long time.... then why in the hell are we in the mess we're in and do we really want more of this same type of 'leadership'...??? Insanity, they tell me, is doing the same thing over and over and over while expecting a different result. Speaking of which the two youngest members of our Great Gozarkian crew, being Josh & Shawna, just got home from tennis and visiting with friends... thus my quiet space of sanity has come to a close. But before I make my get-away back to insanity, let me encourage you to start closely examining the "Issues" page of EVERY candidate who will be seeking your vote this year. Start with Lendall Issues and Beebe Issues. Then take a look at Hutchinson Issues for yourself. Look not only at what is said but what is NOT said. Look at the images on the pages of each candidate's website, get a feel for how the website is organized, reach out to touch the human beings behind the html code. Understand that many dimensions of each candidate -- especially how well they 'present information in the interest of informing their constituencies' -- are represented and being communicated by every element of what you experience on a website, then judge accordingly. Judge wisely and well... just always remember:
As for me, to quote both ABBA and dear Martin, "I Have A Dream..."
If the general conversation
here is of interest to you I highly recommend the following books.
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Getting
back to politics, the pic at right is of Charlie Smith, longtime Green
activist, enjoying the homestyle buffet at the meet & greet with
