The Natural State Hawg - ramblings from an Arkie

Weekend OTR: Eddie Bracken Show–‘Eddie Inherits a baby’

2012-01-28T01:05:00.001-06:00

First Arkansas News used to at least one old time radio episode a week in its Weekend OTR series.

Ah, but that series has moved over here to The Natural State Hawg – hopefully, we’ll find some more old time radio fans and the folks who enjoyed the series at the other site will make it over here.

This weekend’s episode is as usual, courtesy of OTRCat.com. If you're an old time radio fan, you owe it to yourself to pay that site a visit. While you're at it, head on over to First Arkansas News' Lum and Abner page every Sunday to read a new, original comic strip featuring those two beloved Arkansas boys who made good in the world of old time radio.

Having said that, click the below link to enjoy this weekend's show and make sure to stop in next weekend to enjoy another old time radio program.

Eddie Bracken Show -- Eddie Inherits a Baby(1/20/1952)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day…

2012-01-28T00:54:00.001-06:00

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you’re going to feel like a sucker if you don’t get your sweetie a little something in honor of the holiday.

Yes, your good friend – The Hawg – is in the same boat, but I’m to find something unique when I’m shopping for something for my wife for Valentine’s Day. If I can shop conveniently, that’s even better.

Want convenience? Turn to the Internet, ace, and you can easily find something unique. Candy is always a good choice on Valentine’s Day and you can find plenty of candy and lollipops – just click the aforementioned link and get shopping, ace.

Oh, and do it early – Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it and you don’t want to get caught empty handed, do you? Experience has shown me that’s a very bad thing.

The Pogoplug–mine’s hot pink, but who cares?

2012-01-27T01:22:00.001-06:00

That’s right. I got a new toy today – the Pogoplug.

How much did it cost? A ridiculous $24.99 online at J&R Electronics. What is it? Perhaps the coolest little gadget I’ve bought in a long, long time. Yes, the POGO-B01 I bought may have been so cheap because the thing comes in a very ugly, hot pink color (the black Pogoports I found were all more expensive than my pink one). Still, I feel like I stole that thing.

the Pogoplug, in a nutshell, is a very small media server. It’s little more than a unit boasting four USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port and a dual core, 700MHz CPU that’s running Ubuntu Linux for an operating system. That’s a lot of punch for $25 and I’m enjoying the heck out of it.

I was able to get the Pogoplug up and running in just a few minutes by plugging it in, hooking running an Ethernet cable between it and my wireless router and then setting up the device after I took out a free account at PogoPlug.com. Once I plugged in an external hard drive, I was in business.

When the Pogoplug is configured, you’ve got a personal cloud on your hands. I went ahead an installed an application that allows me to manage the device like any other hard drive set up on my main, Windows 7 machine, but it’s easy to access files from an Internet browser by simply logging into my account on PogoPlug.com. That’s right – if I’ve got an Internet connection, I can grab any file I need off the Pogoplug.

Ah, but there’s more. I can stream movies directly to my Xbox 360 through the Pogoplug and there’s even an iPhone app out there that allows one to stream media to my phone (yes, there’s an app for Android, too). I’ve got an old 350 GB drive hooked up to the Pogoport now but will order a 2 terabyte one soon so I won’t have to worry about running out of space. And, when I’m saving files on my local network, the process is very quick – just a little slower than it is to save on an external hard drive plugged directly to a computer with a USB 2.0 port.

We’ve got the unit set up in my home so that we all can save to the hard drive and pull files from it, too.

If that all sounds cool, that’s because it is. However, there are some drawbacks to the Pogoplug. For one thing, it would be great to be able to plug in my printer and use it as a network printer that everyone in my house could use. That feature is supposed to work, but I can’t get my computer to recognize the printer hooked up to the Pogoport. The ability to do that isn’t documented well at all and God only knows if the Pogoplug folks will fully implement that feature. That’s a shame because it only seems logical that the Pogoplug could be used as a network print spooler.

Bear in mind that such features – and more – can be implemented by those wanting to hack the thing by setting it up with a custom Linux OS that converts the machine into a pretty decent server (just google “hack Pogoplug” and you’ll find guides all over the place for doing just that). I may get around to customizing the Pogoplug in that manner one of these days, but I’d rather avoid it because I’m lazy. I’m sick to death of hacking away on devices to get them to work like they should – I’d rather just plug something in and use it.

Another drawback is that streaming media is great locally, but video is choppy when I’m away from home and accessing the Pogoplug through another network. That shouldn’t be surprising, but anyone hoping to stream huge files while outside of the “home” network will likely be disappointed.

And, if you’ve got a hard drive full of media, it’ll take a few hours for the Pogoplug to index it all. That process took about three hours on my hard drive.

Finally, the instructions that come with this thing are dreadful. You get a huge piece of paper telling you to log onto Pogoplug.com and activate it from there. Should something go wrong, they may be out of luck as there’s not just a whole lot in the way of support that comes with this thing. Heck, the documentary pamphlet packaged with the Pogoport doesn’t even go into the technical specifications for this thing. That’s a drag because there are a number of Pogoport models out there, and they don’t share a common chipset. If you’re going to put that aforementioned custom version of Linux on the system and use it as a file server, you’ll need to know which CPU you’re dealing with before you begin the process.

Still, those complaints are minor. Once you invest your $25, that’s the last money you have to spend. It’s a dirt cheap personal cloud that doesn’t come with a bunch of ongoing fees and can be expanded with additional hard drives.

I’ve still got some work to do with the Pogoplug, of course. “Cloud” printing is maybe-kind-of-perhaps supported and I need to set that up for those times when we need to print something and don’t want to drag a laptop back to the printer. I also need to mount the Pogoplug as a hard drive on my netbook that’s running Xubuntu Linux 11.10.

And, of course, I’ve got my daughter on the lookout for a “Hello Kitty” sticker to slap on the annoyingly pink device. It seems only appropriate.

Eventually, the Pogoplug will allow me to convert my DVD collection to a bunch of MP4 files so I can leave them in a closet and stream movies to my Xbox 360. Cool stuff. I converted my CD collection in a similar manner and that’s allowed me to clear up some space by dumping those discs in a closet and forgetting about them.

Stay tuned – I’ll write more about the Pogoplug as I find more uses for it. The fact I picked up that nifty device for about half the price of a popular, current Xbox 360 game is enough to make a cheap bastard like me giddy.

The two best lawyer jokes of all time

2012-01-26T02:42:00.001-06:00

Yes, the rumors are true – I, The Hawg, used to be a lawyer.

Now, I realize that’s rather like being an alcoholic in that you never quite live it down. To that end, I am a recovering lawyer and I will be for the rest of my days. I started a solo practice in 1995 and got a couple of law partners in 1996. In 1998, one of those partners filed went nuts, filed a ridiculous lawsuit against the plant in Benton County that makes Little Debbie snack cakes, didn’t show up for work one day and wound up dealing cards at some casino in Tunica, Miss. Hey, that’s a true story – you can’t make up that kind of thing.

In February 1999, my other law partner told me she had accepted a job at another firm. I shut down the office a week later and haven’t looked back. Could I have kept the office going? Sure. I made a comfortable living and was usually competent at my job. Still, being a lawyer sucked. I figured I put in my four years and that was enough.

What’s the point of mentioning all this? Simply put, attorneys hear the best lawyer jokes and I’m going to share my two favorite ones with you. Ready? Here we go…

Q. How do you get a lawyer out of a tree?
A. Cut the rope.

Hah! That’s a real rib tickler! A knee slapper! It’s simple but effective. The next one is a bit more involved but I like it better.

A Hindu, a Jew and a lawyer were taking a road trip through the backwoods of Tennessee.

They had been driving all day and were tired, but there was no hotel to be found. They came across a farmhouse and decided to ask the owner if they could stay with him for the night.

“Sure, y’all can stay here,” the farmer said. “But the bed in the guestroom only sleeps two people, so one of you will have to sleep out in the barn. Don’t worry – it’s nice out there. I sleep there myself when the wife is mad at me.”

The barn sounded fine to the Hindu.

“You two fellows take the bed and I’ll sleep out in the barn,” the Hindu said.

The lawyer and the Jew were getting settled down in the bed when they heard a knock on the guestroom door. It was the Hindu.

“There’s a cow at there,” he said. “I’m not sleeping under the same roof as a cow.”

“That’s fine,” the Jew said. “You two take the bed and I’ll sleep out in the barn.”

The lawyer and the Hindu were getting settled down in the bed when they heard a knock at the door. It was the Jew.

“There’s a pig out there,” he said. “There’s no way I’m sleeping with a pig!”

“That’s fine,” the lawyer said. “Y’all take the bed and I’ll sleep in the barn.”

The Jew and the Hindu were getting settled down in the bed when they heard a knock at the door. It was the cow and the pig.

Now, here’s a funny story about that joke. When I was in my second year of law school, my ethics professor gave out bonus points for the joke of the week. I submitted the “Lawyer, Jew and Hindu” joke and he stopped me after class.

“I can’t accept this,” he said.
“Why not?”

“Because it’s racially insensitive.”
“What? How?”

“There might be a Jew or Hindu in class and they might be insulted.”

“Insulted how?”
“Because the joke makes fun of the beliefs of Jews and Hindus.”

“No it doesn’t,” I said. “It makes fun of lawyers.”

“Yes, but it also makes fun of Jews and Hindus,” he said.

“Really? How?”

“If you don’t know by now, I won’t be able to explain it to you.”

And, that was that.

Heh. Lawyers. Go figure.

What Republicans can learn from John Kerry

2012-01-25T23:27:00.001-06:00

Ah, good ole John Kerry. He is the poster child for how to absolutely blow an election.

Why is he relevant in 2012? The Republican presidential nominee will be in roughly the same position as Kerry was in 2004 and may well fall into the same trap as the failed Democrat.

Let’s go back to 2004. The Democrats were in a great position to take the White House. George W. Bush was a controversial president who appeared to be losing popularity on a daily basis. The economy was a concern, government spending had alarmed more than a few people and Bush was largely responsible for getting the nation involved in a war in Iraq that wasn’t exactly going well and was becoming very unpopular.

The Democrats, in short, were in a position to topple Bush and they may have done that with a strong candidate. Instead of a great candidate, however, the Democrats nominated John Kerry.

Kerry’s campaign slogan should have been, “Vote for me because I’m not George Bush.” Kerry ran around the nation griping about Bush. He boldly promised to not ever be George Bush, in fact, and appeared confident that was enough to become president.

Kerry failed. His biggest problem, it seems, is that Kerry spent most of his time trying to convince people to not vote for Bush instead of giving them reasons to vote for him. Americans are, arguably, more interested in voting for something they believe in rather than simply voting against something they don’t.

Think about it. We’ve seen that play out time and time again. I’ve been voting in presidential elections since 1988 and have rarely voted for a candidate – I’ve voted against plenty of them, however. I’m reminded of the Bill Clinton-Bob Dole election back in 1996 when a friend of mine returned from the polls. He said he held his nose and “did the right” thing by voting against Clinton, but was none to happy with Dole.

Here in 2012, the Republican who gets the nomination will likely be tempted to gripe about Obama. Yes, he can talk about the rotten economy and the failed stimulus spending. And, make no mistake – Obama’s stimulus packages have been horrible failures. The point of stimulus spending is to help create jobs so that the tax base will increase and the government will get back the money spent on stimulating the economy. When those jobs aren’t created, the government has effectively thrown a bunch of money out the window.

The temptation to complain about Obama and his policies is certainly there as this president is a magnet for controversy. There’s everything from the remarkably odd decision to block the Keystone XL pipeline (thus potentially causing that oil to wind up in China) to healthcare reform to, well, playing a bunch of golf.

I’d wager the Republican nominee who focuses on Obama’s controversial decisions will fail miserably in the upcoming election. Sure, pointing out Obama’s faults is fair enough, but a successful candidacy is built on outlining policies that are attractive to voters. Giving voters something to believe in and support is far more effective than simply telling them that voting for Candidate X is less dangerous than voting for Candidate Y.

Obama clearly did that in 2008 with his “hope and change” message as well as the “yes we can” slogan (I still think he swiped that from Bob the Builder, but it worked). Obama had a lot of enthusiastic support from people inspired by his campaign while John McCain simply did not. The outcome of that election was predictable, wasn’t it?

Republicans should take that lesson to heart. Voters had rather vote for a candidate they like then against one they don’t.

Promote your business with cool, free stuff

2012-01-25T22:56:00.001-06:00

Here’s something on which hopefully everyone can agree – there’s not a soul on the planet who doesn’t like cool, free stuff.

Think about it. When’s the last time you turned down something that was both appealing and cost nothing? Yeah, that’s right – you took that free item and felt good about it, didn’t you? You were happy with your new, free item and thought well of the person or organization that gave it to you, didn’t you?

That feeling – the sheer joy of getting something for free – can be leveraged by businesses looking to make a few bucks in this rotten economy. The trick at succeeding in business these days is to stand out from the pack and promotional items (i.e., cool, free stuff) can help companies achieve that goal.

There are tons of promotional items available. Some of them are good, some are not. Let’s say you’re looking for something that’s unique, fun and carries your company’s logo – promotional toys, for example. Click the aforementioned link and you’ll find more unique toys than you can shake a stick at. They’re of good quality, fun as heck and can help recipients both recognize your brand and think well of your company – two very good things during any economic climate and a necessity these days.

The amount of items available and the customization items open the door for a good number of personal, unique items. For example, let’s say I decided to promote The Natural State Hawg by grabbing the site’s banner and wrapping it around a bottle of oh-so-fun bubbles. That’s easy to do and is just one of thousands of options available. Fun stuff, huh? And – here’s the thing – ordering such items can lead to more business.

Wordless Wednesday–Daughter

2012-01-24T23:38:00.001-06:00

Want to see more Wordless Wednesday entries? Just click here.

Should have been standard software for the iPhone

2012-01-24T23:11:00.001-06:00

As great as the iPhone is, it feels very limited in a lot of ways.

Clearly, the hardware is powerful enough to do quite a bit, but Apple’s obsession with controlling what can be done with the devices results in a frustrating experience for users.

Well, iPhone users, get ready for the software package you’ve been wanting for some time – ImTOO iPhone Transfer Platinum. That little package should have (in my opinion) been standard with the iPhone.

Well, it’s not standard but the price is reasonable and the software works on Mac and PC. What does it do? Quite a bit, really. It allows users to:

* Transfer multimedia files directly from a computer to the iPhone.

* Rip CDs, DVDs and convert audio and video files to the iPhone.

* Create iPhone ringtones from audio and video sources (that is, indeed, a big benefit).

* And more…

It’s been a chore to make iPhone ringtones and convert video to iPhone in the past, but those days are over. The aforementioned software makes it easy to transfer multimedia to iPhone, and it’s the kind of package that iPhone users absolutely need.

Portable power when you need it

2012-01-24T22:49:00.001-06:00

Smartphones and powerful, portable devices are all great things, but they all have a flaw – they suck batteries dry under heavy use.

I’ve had an iPhone 4 for the past couple of years and well know how that goes. When my phone is away from my computer or car charger for two long, the thing can go dark in a hurry.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to those who are tired of running out of power on their portable devices – a USB battery charger. What is that? Simply put, a low cost device that is portable and allows owners to charge smart phones, cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, cameras and other high-drain devices on the go.

How does one use portable USB battery chargers? Simply charge it, take it with you and plug in your mobile device when its low on power. The portable charge is a simple and effective way to make sure you don’t run out of power on your mobile device when you’re out and about.

Music Monday: Sonics–“The Witch”

2012-01-23T01:51:00.001-06:00

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Questions about web hosting?

2012-01-23T01:47:00.001-06:00

If you’ve been messing around with a blog for awhile, the chances are good that you’ve thought about hosting your own site rather than relying on one of the many free services out there.

But web hosting can be a confusing topic. What companies are good and which ones stink? Which companies offer the most bang for the buck? What’s the difference between a good company and a rotten one? Where can you find answers to those questions?

Well, lucky traveler, those answers are easy to find on the Internet. Log on and check some website hosting reviews to get started. Worried about how to access and manage your site? Find out about website control panels that allow you to do just that and find out which ones are best suited for you.

Finding a good web host can be an involved process, but there are resources out there to help steer you through it.

Horoscope for the week of Jan. 23

2012-01-22T01:06:00.001-06:00

Yes, here we are in week two of Dr. Zodiac’s move from First Arkansas News. The good doctor tells us he’s settling in well here at The Natural State Hawg and is glad of the opportunity to warn people about the treachery the stars have in store for them.

Yes, those stars are just downright mean, Zodiac says. They scheme and plot against mankind and have – for some reason – chosen to reveal their plans to the good doctor so he can reveal them to us. Ah, aren’t we lucky?

What do the stars have in store for you this week? Have a look at your below StarCast for the week and find out for yourself.

Aries

Mar 21-Apr 19

You will become obsessed with politics this week. Yes, you will back a presidential candidate that you are convinced will lead the nation back to greatness and improve life for you and your family. At some point, however, you will realize that the elected official you are convinced is the answer to your prayers cares as little about you as the rest of the rascals. Learn to accept that truth and you’ll be better off for it. Your lucky number this week is 22.

Taurus

Apr 20-May 20

Money’s a little tight for you these days, but you’ve got the answer, don’t you? That’s right – the lottery. God help you if your state has a lottery because you’ll throw every dime you have at it. If your state doesn’t have a lottery, you’ll find a way to lose your money in a nearby state that does have one. I don’t know if I can dissuade you from buying a bunch of lottery tickets, but I’ll try. You won’t win, Taurus – no one ever does. Your lucky number this week is –1,000.

Gemini

May 21-Jun 21

While Taurus is blowing his money on the lottery, you’ll be waiting for your W-2 so you can file your taxes and get that big, fat refund. Spend it wisely, Gemini. Remember – that refund isn’t a gift from the government. That’s your money that was taken from you and you should treat it as such. If you’re in a spending mood, I would like to suggest an investment that could make us both rich. Your good friend, Dr. Zodiac, has invented a piece of scientific equipment that allows communications directly with the starts – the Crystal Ouija Rune Board. If I can produce a slick prototype, I’m sure I can sell it to quality retailers such as Walmart and perhaps even Target. Send me a check, Gemini. You won’t regret it. Your lucky number this week is $10,000.

Cancer

Jun 22-Jul 22

I don’t know if this is a good StarCast or a bad one for you, Cancer. Big Star – the undisputed leader of the stars – tells me you will start a blog this week so as to share your opinions with the world. Good luck with that and remember to think of this site when you want to start sharing links with other opinionated types. Your lucky number this week is 30.

Leo

Jul 23-Aug 22

Oh, Leo! You are one lucky rascal this week. Why? Big Star (the undisputed leader of the stars) tells me you will find true love this week. If you’ve already found true love, I’m told you’ll consider it even truer this week. I, the mighty Dr. Zodiac, found true love years ago and wound up married. My wife keeps nagging me to get a real job. There’s a lesson in there somewhere, Leo, but I’m not quite sure what it is. Your lucky number this week is 2.

Virgo

Aug 23-Sep 22

Tell me if this phrase means something to you – the crow flies in square circles. I can’t make sense of that, but the stars assure me that phrase means something significant to you and is tied in with your StarCast this week. That seems sketchy to me, but what do I know? It’s your StarCast, after all. Your lucky number this week is ???.

Libra

Sep 23-Oct 23

Vinyl. That’s what I said – vinyl. As in record albums. You’ll start collecting them like crazy this week after you either find a record player or someone gives one to you. Be careful because those things can get expensive. Still, it’s a fun hobby so long as you don’t go nuts with it. If you have children, tormenting them with the music from your youth can be fun, so play it loud and enjoy. Your lucky number this week is 33 1/3.

Scorpio

Oct 24-Nov 21

Work will be a real problem this week. Why? Because you’ll get pestered with minor, nagging problems that will reduce your productivity to the point where you’ll get nothing meaningful done. You might as well stay home and watch television. Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Your lucky number this week is 82.

Sagittarius

Nov 22-Dec 21

Yes, it’s time for horseracing season and you’re convinced to place a bet or two. You’ll not be able to help yourself, but I want you to keep something in mind that might at least curb the amounts you wager – those things are rigged. Yes, every blasted one of them and those in the know are well aware of that. Want proof? Why are those cats set up outside the track selling tip sheets rather than being inside placing bets? Think about it. Your lucky number this week is exacta.

Capricorn

Dec 22-Jan 19

Regardless of how long you’ve owned that cell phone, you’ll keep getting calls for the previous owner of your number. Sadly, that previous owner owed a lot of money to a lot of different people and they will all hound you this week. Don’t fret. We all have to go through it. Your lucky number this week is 501.

Aquarius

Jan 20-Feb 18

The neighbor kid will annoy the heck out of you this week. Count on it. If he has a guitar, he’ll crank it up to 11 every single day. If he (or she) doesn’t have a guitar, you can still expect the nuisance to make plenty of racket. Don’t fret – kids make racket. They all do. Every single one of them. Get used to it. Your lucky number this week is 11.

Pisces

Feb 19-Mar 20

You will attempt to prove your wit by making up limericks all week long. That can be great fun for your friends as a good limerick is mighty entertaining. Bad ones, however, are awful. Proceed with caution, Pisces, and remember to avoid those forced rhymes. Your lucky number this week is 5.

Keep those kids safe

2012-01-22T00:02:00.001-06:00

I've got a couple of kids around the house. Yes, they're out of the baby/toddler years, but I well remember what those were like -- the little rascals got into everything they could access.

At times, their curiosity was fine. At times it was annoying. At times it was downright dangerous. As a parent, it was my job to do whatever was necessary to keep them safe.

Of course, one way to make sure kids aren’t getting into anything harmful is to keep an eye on them constantly (the same goes for pets, by the way). That’s just not practical – kids have a lot more energy than parents do and tend to sneak off to places they shouldn’t go when parents are distracted or taking a break.

What can you do to keep junior from playing around in the laundry room or wandering down the hallway? How about that dog that just won’t stay out of your bedroom? Put up a safety gate, hoss, and rest easy.

Find all the new KidCo Safety Gates at the Kidco Gate Shop. KidCo makes superior quality baby gates, and pet gates. Safety proof with gates at your doorways, hearth, stairways, and wide openings. They have hardware mount gates, pressure mount gates, extra wide gates, and gate mounting kits that make it easier to install them. Not sure which safety gate you need, read our Safety Gate Guide and Tips for guidance.

KidCo has just upgraded it's entire line of safety gates. They have added more features and lowered all the prices while maintaining their high quality.

Weekend OTR: Tales of the Texas Rangers -- 'Blood Trail'

2012-01-20T10:58:00.000-06:00

For over a year now, First Arkansas News has posted at least one old time radio episode a week in its Weekend OTR series.

That's worked out well enough, but there's a bit of a problem -- First Arkansas News is, strictly speaking, a news site and the series has always seemed somewhat inappropriate as it's all about recycling content rather than creating anything new. Still, there is value in sharing old time radio shows for people to enjoy. It just seems more appropriate to post these episodes on this site as it's geared for such things. To that end, First Arkansas News (which is owned by me) is moving it's weekend OTR series here at The Natural State Hawg (also owned by me).

The episodes themselves are courtesy of OTRCat.com. If you're an old time radio fan, you owe it to yourself to pay that site a visit. While you're at it, head on over to First Arkansas News' Lum and Abner page every Sunday to read a new, original comic strip featuring those two beloved Arkansas boys who made good in the world of old time radio.

Having said that, click the below link to enjoy this weekend's show and make sure to stop in next weekend to enjoy another old time radio program.

Tales of the Texas Rangers -- Blood Trail (1/20/1952)

Specializing in ... rain barrels?

2012-01-20T10:24:00.000-06:00

If you hang around long enough, you'll learn in a hurry that there are specialty sites out there for just about anything you can imagine.

That's a good thing, too. Common items may be available in abundance at a local retailer, but what about unique items? What if you're in the market for a rain barrel? You don't find rain barrels for sale every day, so the chances are slim that you'll have much choice (if, indeed, you find any rain barrels at all at a local store).

A limited selection of those items is simple enough to explain -- the laws of supply and demand control in that instance in that a low demand for rain barrels means you won't find much in the way of supply. Ah, but rain water barrels are useful for rain harvesting -- using runoff to water gardens and that type of thing.

When you want to find a rain barrel for sale, then, you won't give a whit about supply and demand controlling your selection. The solution, then, is to find a healthy supply of the things and the Internet is perfect for that. There may be a small demand for those in your town, but that demand increases internationally and that means you can find an online retailer that specializes in the humble rain water barrel. Click one of the links in this post and you'll find that specialty retailer that carries the selection you want.

Homes sales for 2011 up in northwest Arkansas, Jonesboro area

2012-01-18T01:28:00.001-06:00

The homes sales numbers for 2011 are in for northwest Arkansas and the Jonesboro area (that’s Craighead County in northeast Arkansas).

First Arkansas News is the first media outlet in the state to have those numbers available to the public.

Click here to read the year-end housing market reports for those two areas of the state. Don’t worry – the central Arkansas numbers will be out before too much longer and First Arkansas News will also have those.

Looking for a ‘per per click’ alternative?

2012-01-18T01:03:00.001-06:00

So you’ve got your blog and Website up and running, have plenty of visitors coming through and are interested in monetizing that traffic.

Perhaps you have a business and want to find a way to drive traffic to your site in hopes of boosting those profits and, perhaps, financing an expansion.

One of the oldest ways of making money from traffic – or driving visitors to a site – is pay per click advertising. Anyone who’s been on the Internet in the past couple of decades is familiar with pay per click advertising – bump a link and it takes you to a site. That’s all quite basic.

What is not basic is figuring out how to get in with a pay per click service that actually works. The problem with that kind of advertising is that we’re so used to seeing it that it has to be very compelling to attract attention.

Publishers wanting to monetize traffic and advertisers wanting to attract traffic both want the same thing – a pay to click service that actually works. Just throwing a link up and hoping people click on it simply isn’t effective these days.

What’s the solution? You find someone to build a better mousetrap. A company called BizzClick believes it has built that better mousetrap and is, at the very least, doing thing differently from a lot of the pay per click services out there. How? By having account managers to help both advertisers and publishers develop campaigns that work. By using tools that help businesses attract the most suitable customers to their sites. It’s all about customization and pragmatism – realizing that there are few “one size fits all” solutions and finding techniques that work best for each individual.

Give the company a shot and see for yourself what it can do for you.

Horoscope for Jan. 16

2012-01-16T03:36:00.001-06:00

You visitors to The Natural State Hawg are in for a treat – the famed Dr. Zodiac is moving here permanently from First Arkansas News.

Who is Dr. Zodiac? Why, he’s a general purpose psychic, soothsayer and master of the occult who can predict the future through his impressive connection to the stars. According to Dr. Zodiac, the stars hate us all and have chosen to tell him the calamity they have in store for us.

That’s not to say that it’s all misery for us. No, Dr. Zodiac says the stars will throw mankind a bone every now for the heck of it. The stars may not like us, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get a positive horoscope from time to time. Actually, Dr. Zodiac calls them StarCasts, but that’s another story.

What do the stars have in store for you this week? Scroll through the below StarCasts, find your astronomical sign and see for yourself.

Aries

Mar 21-Apr 19

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Day and it’s time for you to engage in a bit of introspection. Dr. King had a dream and he helped change the world. You had a dream, too – do drive a really cool car. Your priorities are out of whack, Aries. You can do better. Your lucky number this week is 16.

Taurus

Apr 20-May 20

Big Star, the undisputed leader of the stars, tells me you’re in trouble this week. Why? The stars are particularly angry at you and are out to make an example of you so as to warn others not to engage in your foolish behavior. What did you do? You’ve run around wishing on stars for years. The stars are sick of it. Instead of dreams coming true, you’ll discover a few low grade nightmares will become your uncomfortable reality this week. Good luck. Your lucky number this week is n/a.

Gemini

May 21-Jun 21

You’ll live up to your astrological sign this week in a kind of Jeckyll & Hyde way. You’ll be all kind and charming one moment and completely intolerable the next. Dealing with you this week will be like putting up with someone on Prednisone. It’s unpleasant, sure, but you’ll not be able to control your behavior – the stars have spoken. Your lucky number this week is 2.

Cancer

Jun 22-Jul 22

You’ve got it all wrong. The lyrics to ‘C’mon and Love Me” by Kiss are “she’s a dancer / a romancer / I’m a Capricorn and she’s a Cancer.” And you’ve gone around all these years thinking Paul Stanley was singing “she’s got Cancer.” Wacky. Your lucky number this week is 4.

Leo

Jul 23-Aug 22

You’re not getting any younger, Leo. That will become very evident this week when you step into an elevator and here one of your favorite songs from your teen years playing. You always knew that would happen, wouldn’t you? Your lucky number this week is 1984!

Virgo

Aug 23-Sep 22

I wish that I was lucky enough to be a Virgo this week. Why? Because you’re in for a good week, Virgo. Years ago, I – the famed Dr. Zodiac – was playing golf on a course here in Little Rock. I chased my ball into the woods and found $5. That was a great feeling. Just imagine that great feeling multiplied by about 1,000 and that’s the kind of week you will experience. Enjoy it! Your lucky number this week is 17.

Libra

Sep 23-Oct 23

You will finally get sick of all the Republican primary stuff this week. The Republican candidates stink. President Obama is rotten, too. You’ll strongly dislike the fellow who takes over as president in January and you know it, so why suffer through the primaries? A lot of us are asking the same question. Cheer up – it’ll all be over in a little less than 10 months. Yuck. Your lucky number this week is November.

Scorpio

Oct 24-Nov 21

You will be tempted to take up a hobby this week. Don’t do it. Listen to me closely – just don’t. Why? If you take up a hobby, you will wind up spending a bunch of money on something you’ll not like. If you’re in a hurry to blow some cash, though, I have a solution – just send it to me, your good friend Dr. Zodiac. Your lucky number this week is blue.

Sagittarius

Nov 22-Dec 21

That blasted squirrel is back again. You know the one – he or she hangs around outside your window, chatters and appears to be watching you. Here’s some news for you – that squirrel is watching you. It was sent by the stars, in fact. The squirrel is harmless, but very annoying. Your lucky number this week is 48.

Capricorn

Dec 22-Jan 19

You will annoy your friends and family this week by becoming obsessed with creating a new buzzword or catchy phrase for the masses. Your new phrase may well catch on, but it will fall out of favor by this time next year. Fame is fleeting, my friend. Your lucky number this week is 23 skidoo!

Aquarius

Jan 20-Feb 18

You’re in trouble this week. Why? You will start examining the philosophical meanings behind Jim Varney’s “Ernest” character. Here’s the thing – there’s nothing deep or heavy about those Ernest movies. They’re just fun. Just stupid, plain fun. Accept it. Your lucky number this week is 22.

Pisces

Feb 19-Mar 20

Television will become very important to you this week. Actually, you’ll become obsessed with it. And you’ll want to watch all kinds of awful reruns – 1970s sitcoms and that kind of thing. Don’t let it get you down – it’s only for a week. Your lucky number this week is 4077.

Rotten economy got you down? Stack the odds in your favor.

2012-01-16T02:38:00.001-06:00

Well, here’s a newsflash – the economy is still a mess.

The economic indicators we want to see up (such as the consumer confidence index) are down while more daunting indicators (such as the national unemployment rate) are still alarmingly high. A lot of people are economizing out there these days, but it’s important to keep in mind that looking to save a buck is a good habit to get into even when times are good.

Here’s the thing – hunting for bargains doesn’t have to be a chore. It can, in fact, be dandy fun – digging up incredible deals on items you want to buy can be thrilling. There’s a site out there that makes deal shopping fun – nomorerack.com.

What will you find at nomorerack? Daily deals on new, quality items which allow shoppers to save a huge amount of money on an incredibly variable number of products. The folks over there go out of their way to find bargains and bring them to members. If you’ve ever tried hunting through the Internet to find the best bargains, you know what a task that it. The Internet is a big place, after all, and you could spend a lot of time exploring it in hopes of saving some cash. That’s not a lot of fun, is it? Consider nomorerack your guide – a site staffed with people who know how to make the Internet seem a bit smaller by offering up a site full of bargains.

Yes, you’ll have to sign up to take full advantage of the site, but that’s OK – you’ll get daily emails showing what’s on sale and serving as a constant reminder to visit. Besides, memberships are free, so there’s really no reason for bargain hunters not to join, right?

There’s a social aspect to the site, too. You’ll be rewarded for bringing in friends with points that can be redeemed for free items. That’s a heck of a deal, really – you can find some bargains, pass along your “secret” to saving money on the Internet and be rewarded for sharing.

Go ahead and click one of the aforementioned links to find out more about the site. Give it a try and the chances are good you’ll be glad you did.

Weekend OTR: Fabulous Mr. Tweedy–Tweedy Plays the Bassoon

2012-01-14T02:12:00.001-06:00

The following was originally posted at First Arkansas News. We’re posting it here in hopes that more people will enjoy it. Why? Because old time radio (OTR) is more fan than a barrel full of monkeys and is well worth sharing.

Well, you lucky thing. It’s another weekend and that means it’s time for another fantastic show in our ongoing Weekend OTR series.

What show do we have on tap? It’s the Fabulous Mr. Tweedy, a comedy starring Frank Morgan. As usual, this week’s program is courtesy of our friends at OTRCat.com. So, listen to the show then pay The Cat a visit. Deal?

How do you listen to the show? Simply click the below link and you’re set, pilgrim.

Fabulous Mr. Tweedy – Tweedy Plays the Bassoon (1/12/1946)

Studying for the GP exam? Oxford Medical can help

2012-01-14T02:08:00.001-06:00

Years ago, I had the absolute joy of taking the bar exam.

Did I rush in and take it without some professional preparation? Of course not. I took a course from a group that knew what the bar exam was all about (here’s a hint – it is only somewhat related to what students learn in law school) and what I needed to know to pass it.

It’s a similar situation for doctors – taking the gp exam unprepared isn’t the best idea. Yes, the same logic applies for gp application courses, gp recruitment and gpst stage 3 courses. In the UK, Oxford Medical provides the assistance that can help deal with the challenges aspiring medical professionals face.

In fact, more preparation is likely necessary. Although attorneys might disagree with me, becoming a doctor is more difficult than being a lawyer. That being the case, solid preparation for all challenges facing aspiring doctors is mandatory and some professional guidance is more than a mere luxury. Click one of the aforementioned links and find out more about the help available. Oh, and good luck!

Realtors vote down merger

2012-01-12T02:02:00.001-06:00

Three boards of Realtors in northwest Arkansas voted down a proposal on Wednesday that would have resulted in the largest local Realtors association in Arkansas.

You can read all about the vote and such at First Arkansas News by clicking here.

Now, here’s the interesting thing – a person familiar with what went down on there said it appeared the proposal might pass until the full details of the merger weren’t released until right before the vote. Those details allegedly caused a lot of people to say “hell no” and vote against the merger.

What details was our source talking about? We’re investigating and will have more details in the near future. So, stay tuned to First Arkansas News and we’ll post that information when we get it.

Looking for an alternative to cigarettes?

2012-01-12T01:24:00.001-06:00

My wife was a smoker for years. She tried time and time again to kick the habit, but finally made it after a lot of difficulty.

I can't help but wonder how much easier things would have been had a cigarettes alternative been available to her. There is such an alternative available for people looking for something other than cigarettes -- blu cigs. What's that? A fancy-pants, electronic cigarette substitute that's regarded as not harmful as consumers breath in water vapor rather than smoke and the carcinogens that come with it.

Does it work? There are a number of reviews praising the product. You can find out all about blu, read some reviews, etc. at the aforementioned link.

Hands on with the Nook Tablet

2011-12-28T14:55:00.000-06:00

Barnes & Noble released the Nook Tablet back in November and it's caused more than a bit of a stir in the "budget" Android tablet market.

Does it live up to the hype? I like mine, but there are some severe limitations to the machine.

Want to read more? Just click here and you're on your way, sports fan!

Parents' house

2011-12-28T14:52:00.001-06:00

Guest post of the week by Bradley Guthrie

Gosh I love hanging out with my kids but their taste in things like TV is just the worst. I think that they need some other hobbies since they spend so much time in front of the tube but we did just go to http://www.satellitetvfamily.com/ and get a load of new channels so I don’t really know what I expect from them. They used to be really athletic and sporty and they were always outside riding their bikes and playing baseball and things like that but once they hit middle school and they kind of grew awkwardly? That didn’t really pan out for them anymore so they took to playing lots of video games and watching a lot of TV. I know I need to encourage them to get out more but it’s so nice to have them home where I can watch them. They’re so young and I just miss them already (miss them in the sense that they’ll be going off to college in a few years.)