Carroll County, Arkansas · Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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Get your gun before it's too late?
Posted Tuesday, June 2, at 3:26 PM
As the online editor for this site, I get to look at our traffic statistics to the site. One thing I always check whenever I update the site is the top 30 stories viewed, especially for the month so far.

Here's a strange anomaly. Want to guess which type of story, and in this case, which particular story, comes up more than any other on our site?

If you guessed accidents or arrests, you'd be wrong, although those are up there in the top 10.

No, what comes up in the top 5, and usually second or third, is a silly little blurb posted to the site in October 2008 (!) about the second gun and knife show that was coming up last November.

For the month of May, this story was in the second place slot for pageviews. In April, it was number 1. In March, number 4. So far, in the first two days of June, it is number 1.

And the strangest part? The headline reads: "Second Gun and Knife Show to be held Nov. 1-2," so readers know this is not a current event.

Okay, so we live in the South, where guns and knives are as commonplace as tableware. Everyone has at least a shotgun, if not a rifle, revolver, Bowie knives, pocket knives, whatever. No big deal.

So we might deduce a couple things: a. the traffic to this story is from locals who are wondering when the last show was or the next show might be; b. the traffic is from people who live in places where they don't have gun and knife shows or where they require permits (Arkansas doesn't).

Whatever the reason, what I find most curious is the large number of people reading this story that was posted back in October. Is it a sign of the times, of the sketchy economy? Are people feeling frightened and desperate? Are they sensing there may come a time when they will need to hunt their own food? Or defend their food?

I'd love to hear your ideas. Feel free to leave comments.

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'You have the right to' means you don't have the right
Posted Friday, May 8, at 1:41 PM

My jaw just about dropped when a friend handed me a photocopy of a page from a patient information brochure from one of the area hospitals. She had received this prior to going in for surgery. I'm sure the brochure was meant to be comforting and reassuring, but it was anything but. ...

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Seeking Vivian Chang - a poetic tale of spam email
Posted Tuesday, April 14, at 3:35 PM

Spam email - most of it is just annoying, offering you office supplies, political diatribes, a chance to inflate body parts or to get in on the ground floor of money laundering unclaimed estates in Nigeria, with the only real disbursement of monies being yours...

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No beard? No problem!
Posted Monday, March 30, at 10:37 AM

If any of my entries fits the title of this blog, "Anomalies," this one's gotta be it. Check this out: www.imadeyouabeard.etsy.com Is it the economy? Is this some sort of post-feminist statement? What on earth is going on here? And why on earth would people pay FORTY DOLLARS A POP for a stitched beard that looks like a dustmop hanging off their face?...

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Joysound, where are you?
Posted Tuesday, March 10, at 4:06 PM

When I have time, I like to compose music on the Mac, in GarageBand. I could go on and on about how wonderful this program is, but I'll just say that it allows you a wide latitude of creative ability. You can import existing music files into it to make an arrangement with real or software instruments. With a built-in or external microphone, you can record your playing into it and compose music...

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Recipe for Multidimensional Journeying
Posted Friday, February 20, at 1:27 PM

Take four string musicians (from varying backgrounds, musical genres and abilities), one painting and mix. Serve in dim light. Expect the unexpected, and get ready to hear something like nothing you've ever heard before. That was the experience of Christopher Lantz's "The Unplayed String Quartet" at Enthios Art Venue in Eureka Springs on Feb. 8...

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Storm survival
Posted Friday, February 6, at 3:25 PM

In this last ice storm, we fared better than many, and it's not necessarily because we saw the storm coming and prepared for it as it is so much just the way we live day to day. I often think of my grandmother growing up on the farm in northern New England. No, her life did not have many of the conveniences we enjoy today. But when fierce Nor'easters hit, they were prepared -- because of the way they lived day to day...

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Goth country
Posted Tuesday, January 13, at 11:28 PM

Here's an anomaly -- a music genre known as "goth country" or "Southern Goth." It exists and it's popular among many disaffected young folk. It's the dark side of Grand Ole Opry, for sure. Goth country is acknowledged to have started in Denver, Colorado, and some of these bands are not from the South. ...

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Bah, humbug!
Posted Tuesday, December 23, at 2:01 PM

Christmas always brings a feeling of dread. I know, it's supposed to be this magic time of baking, buying gifts, getting gifts, being with family, counting your blessings, celebrating the birth of Christ -- or Hanukkah, or Solstice or Kwanzaa, depending upon your persuasion -- and so on...

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HappyMerry Thanksmas?
Posted Wednesday, November 19, at 2:06 PM

I don't know about you, but it bothers me that Christmas decorations go up and carols start playing over the loudspeakers in department stores and elsewhere sometimes even before Halloween, but certainly before Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong: I don't begrudge the annual commercially ramped-up holiday cheer, although I do try to stay away from it as much as possible. ...

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Anomalies
Kathryn Lucariello
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What no one knows about me could fill a book. I'm in my fifth lifetime, fifth career, fifth location and about to enter the fifth dimension, all in one lifespan. I came out of the womb asking, "Why?" and that question has never been satisfactorily answered. Anoma - what? Anomalies. It's all anomalies. Just thought I'd share 'em with you.