Thanks Wouter.

[LandQuail]

Here's the picture you gave me permission to print. 20,000 people will see it on their front doorsteps if you give me the OK to use the doctored picture with the 100-lb toad driving an Invicta low-chassis racer.

If anybody has any questions about any of this, feel free to ask.

[Zytek_Fan]

Yeah I have a question. WTF?

[LandQuail]

I was waiting for those three letters in particular.

I asked Wouter Melissen's permission to use one of his photos of an Invicta low chassis racer to print in the newspaper I work for as part of our promotion of my hometown yearly festival called — I shit you not — Toad Suck Daze.

I'm a reporter for our local newspaper (like superman) covering the Toad Races, in which children harrass live toads into jumping for ten or twelve feet and see who'se toad is the "fastest."

It's a hell of a spectacle, and any PETA member would start bleeding from the eyes if they saw it, but it's in Arkansas, so as long as nobody gets killed, stoned or knocked-up, it's OK in the eyes of the law around here.

Anyway, have you ever seen The Wind in the Willows? If so, you'll know the natural connection between fast toads and prewar British sports-racers.

It makes sense to me to have a toad driving an Invicta as part of the art for the story... Errrr... Maybe I'm asking too much of my 20,000 average Arkansan readers, but it's going to put a smile on my face.

And where could I have gotten permission to print a copywrited picture of something like an Invicta anywhere else but here, or from anyone else but Wouter?

I'm waiting on Wouter's final okie-dokie before going to print with the altered image (The one with the toad driving our photographer put together instead of the one with the full-face helmeted billionaire), and I've had to put the photo here because apparently you can't attatch an image to the PMs.

So, That's WTF. Thanks for your patience.
Cheers.

[Cotterik]

you're one of the strangest members i've ever come across on ucp. and thats saying something

[Mr.Tiv]

you're one of the strangest members i've ever come across on ucp. and thats saying something

Well, he is from Arkansas; so, I'd expect nothing less.

[fisetdavid26]

you're one of the strangest members i've ever come across on ucp. and thats saying something

I've seen worst.

<cough>ANDREW G</cough>

[drakkie]

you're one of the strangest members i've ever come across on ucp. and thats saying something

Like some French. So weird you shouldn't even try to understand

[my porsche]

Well, he is from Arkansas; so, I'd expect nothing less.

I doubt he's FROM Arkansas since he can put together a coherent sentence, but he current resides there for sure.

[Gt1Street]

first get some one decent to do the ps...

[LandQuail]

I doubt he's FROM Arkansas since he can put together a coherent sentence, but he current resides there for sure.

You'd better take that back.

There are DOZENS of Arkansans who can put together a coherent sentence.

However, if you want a picture of the scribblings of an average Arkansan, I give you the following: http://thecabin.net/stories/082506/loc_0825060004.shtml

(BTW, Joe Lamb... That's me.)


Forum participants choose not to comment in free press
By JOE LAMB
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER



In a forum that touched on freedom of press, very few people who participated felt comfortable enough to share their opinions to the free press.

Audience members openly discussed the freedom of press, among other topics that touched on points of racial profiling, encroachments on citizens' freedom of speech, and the effectiveness of the nation's current measures to keep Americans safe from further attack. Hendrix students and faculty tackled the issues.

Though some talked openly in the forum, they did not want to be quoted in the Log Cabin Democrat.

Democratic candidate for the office of Attorney General, Dustin McDaniel, who stopped by to "listen to intelligent conversation among our young," wasn't surprised that few felt safe voicing their opinions publicly.

"I think we've reached a point where people are inherently distrustful, and that comes from living in dangerous times," McDaniel said after the forum. "But these people will definitely vote. I would love to see a show of hands as to which of them will voice their opinion at the polls."

The question discussed at Hendrix's weekly forum on Thursday was "The NSA (National Security Administration) Domestic Spying Case: Must the President Have Expanded Power During the 'War on Terror?'

Hendrix president and facilitator of Thursday's forum, J. Timothy Cloyd, opened the forum with a reminder of what this country stands to lose when considering issues of national security.

"I don't know if the president is wrong or right for the purposes of this discussion, but I think we all know what's at stake," Cloyd said. "If you or I were in the Oval Office and we got it wrong and a two-kiloton nuclear bomb was brought into downtown Washington - the stakes are high."

Teachers and students participating in the forum followed Cloyd's lead in not viciously and directly attacking President Bush or the idea of surveillance. Instead, they shared ideas on how the NSA's information-gathering methods can be made less invasive and more narrowly focused.

Cloyd said the NSA gathers large numbers of interpersonal communications and runs them through very complex computer programs to "look for patterns and word usage" in order to determine if the sender or receiver could pose a threat to national security.

"I think that all of us have been affected by the so-called war on terror in ways that we may not be aware of," Cloyd said. "I recently sent an e-mail to a friend overseas, and I caught myself thinking 'who's reading this, and what is the NSA going to do with it.'"

Cloyd said these worries are shared by many Americans.

"There is a real uncertainty and unease among Americans," Cloyd said after the forum. "We are in uncharted waters, and the threats to our country and way of life are real. Make no mistake about it, there are people who want to kill us."

"The things required of you to protect an open society," Cloyd said, "are often anathema to an open society - that is the deep, gut-wrenching dilemma that we face."

---

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at joe.lamb@the cabin.net or by phone at 505-1238. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to the www.cabin.net, open this story and post a comment at the end.)


More Stories from Joe Lamb:

· Two more 'stickers' drop out - 05/06/07
· Two down at 'Stuck on a Truck' - 05/05/07
· Board approves tuition increase at UCA - 05/05/07
· Toad racing kicks off - 05/05/07
· Dealin' again - 05/04/07


User Comments:

Observer -- 14:24 Friday, Aug. 25, 2006
"Though some talked openly in the forum, they did not want to be quoted in the Log Cabin Democrat."

Let me get this straight, they talked openly in a PUBLIC forum but yet did not want to be quoted in the newspaper?

Too bad.

I'm assuming the speakers were properly introduced and, when finished voicing their opinions said something to the effect of "but that's not for print."

Again, that's too bad.

You can't claim "off the record" after you've made the statement - especially not after you've made the statement at a public forum.

That's ridiculous.

And it's even more ridiculous that the Log Cabin abided by their wishes and didn't print the comments.

At a traditional forum, the speakers would have been asked to identify themselves before they approached the microphone.

They can't decided to voice their opinion in a pubic forum, but then retract it when it comes to the newspaper.

Reporters can't let other people control their stories as such.

Unless this was more of a public rally than a forum, and the speakers made no attempts at identifying themselves.

Either way, this story is very confusing.

What was the problem with printing the comments?

We'd like to know.


Observer -- 14:32 Friday, Aug. 25, 2006
And, since all people are prone to mistakes and no one is perfect, I made a classic journalism mistake in my post:
"They can't decided to voice their opinion in a pubic forum..."

Ah, the great pubic forum. Such a wonderful place...

Joe Lamb -- 12:29 Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006
I thought that the story was more interesting because of it.
I was blown away by how distrustful some (not all, but a majority I spoke to) people were, especially given the context; there was a very real sense of high spirits and hope for change in the room that day. But as soon as I approached with my notebook full of people's words, that evaporated.

I'm not saying that I blame them. There are a thousand different reasons why someone might not feel safe sharing their inner thoughts with strangers.

But some questioned my very presence there. One person wanted to see press credentials, as though I was going to leave the forum with the person's words, hop into my invisible helicopter, and be spirtied back to Washington where I'd tattle.

I understand that we could, if we had chosen, print their comments. But as a journallist, and as a person, I felt that it would be a betrayal of trust to do so.

Just a shame that the trust didn't seem, in this instance, to go both ways.

Oh well.

[LandQuail]

Or, there's this asshole who, even though he got a doctorate degree from somewhere, is still as ignorant as a pig's asshole.

This is the one that got Log Cabin Democrat reporters banned from posting comments on our forum:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garage sailing uncovers unique gift ideas
By JOE LAMB
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER



While cruising Conway in search of local opinons on the new sign ordinance, the Log Cabin came across some intriguing items up for sale, many of which had the coveted letters "obo" at the bottom of the price tag.

Amid the usual clutter of mismatched drinking glasses, old toys, miniature ceramic bull's skulls and paperback novels at one sale sat a Macintosh Classic computer that wouldn't have looked out of place on the set of "Three's Company."

The asking price for this piece of technology that's made the treacherous journey from outdated give-away to must-have accent for any tech-savvy Generation Xer? How about $35.

If that doesn't float your boat, imagine the joy of coming home to show off your new kayak to a significant other. At only $350, it would have been money well spent in this reporter's book.

And what yard sale discovery would make a better "sweet 16" Christmas present than a new(ly aquired) car. Just think about the sparkle in any teen's eyes when they open a small box under the Christmas tree with jingling car keys inside. Then watch that sparkle fade, flicker and die when they discover the battleship-green 1979 Volvo 245 DL station wagon with the big bow on top will be their pride and joy until they can afford to buy their own wheels.

The information sheets taped to the windows declared the Volvo to be "indestructable." Time had blessed the trendy vehicle up for offer at a Western Street yard sale with an exquisite patina, and it wore its 200,000-plus miles covered as a badge of honor, literally, on the grill. The doors a "Volvo High Mileage Club" badge would open in a youngster's life and career alone would have made the asking price of $1,500 a wise investment in any teen's future.

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 505-1238. To comment on this and other stories, log on to www.thecabin.net, open this story and post a comment at the end.)


More Stories from Joe Lamb:

· Two more 'stickers' drop out - 05/06/07
· Two down at 'Stuck on a Truck' - 05/05/07
· Board approves tuition increase at UCA - 05/05/07
· Toad racing kicks off - 05/05/07
· Dealin' again - 05/04/07


User Comments:

-- 22:26 Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006
Garage sailing?

Really?

How do you sail on a garage?

Joe Lamb -- 19:03 Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006
Our research and development team is working around the clock to come up with a seaworthy garage.
They're having some trouble with it though. We've already lost five prototypes out at Beaver Fork. We've received word that Gordon Lightfoot may be writing a song about it.

Until they get the kinks ironed out of the vessel, you'll have to be content with the headline as a pun.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

you're one of the strangest members i've ever come across on ucp. and thats saying something

I'd rather be different than a square, that's for sure...