Photo credit: Associated Press. One rider was killed and 10 injured when this car slammed head-on into a group of racing cyclists in Mexico’s northern border city of Matamores. Police said the 28-year-old driver, who has been charged with killing the cyclist, was drunk and fell asleep at the wheel.
I was pleased to see today that the Catholic priest who spoke negatively about Hillary Clinton from the pulpit at Barack Obama’s former church has been asked to take a leave of absence.
The Associated Press reports today that Chicago Cardinal Francis George asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger to temporarily step down from his post to “reflect on his recent statements” regarding Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and her bid for the White House.
Last week, Pfleger mocked Clinton at Sen. Barack Obama’s former church, saying the New York senator felt “entitled” to the Democratic nomination for president.
In a guest sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ, Pfleger pretended he was Clinton crying over “a black man stealing my show.”
Personally, I think it was beyond poor taste for Pfleger to brooch the topic of politics from behind the pulpit. Men of God have no place talking to their parishioners about political candidates, much less trash mouthing them.
Has your pastor ever brought up politics at church? Do you think pastors should talk about political candidates and ask you to support or not support a particular candidate?
Let us know.
Here’s the Rev. Michael Pfleger making a fool of himself. The gentleman you see at the beginning of the video is not Pfleger, he is just introducing the priest to the congregation.
Don’t you feel sorry for them? One poor sap’s net worth dropped from $20 million down to a paltry $8 million, and now he’s afraid his wife will leave him because he can’t afford to buy her trips to Paris every month or two.
Click here for a nauseating fascinating look at the poor life of rich people.
Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times piece:
“THEIR spouses could leave them when they discover that their net worth has collapsed to eight figures from nine. Friends and business associates could avoid them as they pass their lunchtime tables at Barney’s or the Four Seasons. And these snubs could trickle down to their children.
“‘They fear their kids won’t get invited to the right birthday parties,’ said Michele Kleier, an Upper East Side-based real estate broker. ‘If they have to give up things that are invisible, they’re O.K. as long as they don’t have give up things visible to the outside world.’”
I thought I had heard of everything, but never a church turning its back on one of its parishioners.
Click here for more.
Don’t know about you, but I’d sure love to be here right now. Anyone have exciting vacation plans this summer? Hopefully I’ll be heading to the Gulf of Mexico sometime soon.
Apparently a man was awakened last night inside his Chenal mansion by an intruder pointing a semi-automatic weapon in his face. The victim was bound by duct tape and then smelled smoke inside his home. For the rest…click here.
Call me a Debbie Downer, but I’m just not that jazzed up about this year’s Musicfest lineup. I really hope that some day we can attract big-name rock/alternative bands to the festival. But I guess locally, country/blues-rock sells.
I think it’s great that we are at least getting some big names, and the festival is always an economic boost for the city. So kudos to Musicfest organizers for that.
Oh, and in case you’ve been under a rock for the last 24 hours, here’s the lineup:
Headliners on Oct. 3 and 4:
• John Anderson
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Shooter Jennings
Leading in for the headliners on the main stage will be:
• Reckless Kelly
• Mando Saenz
• Adam Hood
• Two Empty Chairs
Here’s a taste of John Anderson live, as seen at a recent performance in Beaumont, Texas. He’s singing one of his biggest hits, “Straight Tequila Nights.”
Flavor tripping parties are raging through New York City this summer, thanks to a bright red berry that, when eaten, turns flavors inside your mouth into visceral bliss. At least that’s what folks say. What, you’ve never heard of flavor tripping? Me either. But it sounds like fun.
Click here for more.
Photo credit: Urve Kuusik. Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone in a rarely seen photo from 1973, the year his album “Fresh” was released.
Sony is unveiling this week dozens of photos from their archives in an effort to make profits. They assume, correctly in my case, that music fans will love the true vintage photos like the one of Sly Stone you see above.
As you look through the galleries of photos, you’ll see Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, among others, in smoky recording rooms where real music took place. It’s a fanciful, black and white world — one I wish I could visit.
For the New York Times story about Sony’s photographs, click here.
Two defense officials said Thursday that 108 troops committed suicide in 2007, the most since 1990. Now tell me something isn’t wrong with this war.
Click here for more.
“Unbelievable! fantastic! wonderful!”
Jackson Smith shouted these three words over and over as he jumped and skipped along Main Street on Wednesday — his way of reacting to news that super group Metallica and country crooner Garth Brooks will be in town the first weekend of October to headline at Musicfest.
Smith, along with hundreds of others gathered outside the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce for the announcement, cheered festival organizer Mark Givens, who said this year’s event will be unlike anything South Arkansas has ever seen.
“We expect many thousands of people to attend this year, and we couldn’t be more excited,” Givens said after the announcement. “We are currently working on lodging options and figuring out how we are going to accommodate the throngs of people who will descend on us for this massive concert.”
To handle the large crowds, Givens said a decision was made to move the festival to the Union County Fairgrounds because of its size and location. Musicfest has traditionally been held in downtown El Dorado.
El Dorado Mayor Mike Dumas, who sported a tight Metallica T-shirt featuring two large skulls, said he is “looking forward to seeing one of my favorite groups.” Dumas said that he plans to address the city council on Thursday to declare this October “heavy metal month” in El Dorado.
Dumas, who once toured with the hardrock group in the 1980s as their public relations specialist, said he had a “key role” in securing the band’s date for Musicfest.
“I don’t care if we have to blow all the El Dorado Forward money to make sure these guys have a good time, we will do it! Party on!” Dumas said.
On the country side, Brooks will mark his first post-retirement concert when he takes the stage this October at the fairgrounds. His publicist said he is “looking forward to playing South Arkansas.”
El Dorado Alderman Vertis Mason, wearing a traditional 10-gallon, Texas-sized cowboy hat, said she will host Brooks at her El Dorado home. She suggested that Dumas and her fellow aldermen should also declare October “country month,” in addition to “heavy metal month.”
“It’s only fair,” Mason said, tipping her hat. “I’m a country girl at heart, and Garth is just a dreamboat. I love him to death. I really don’t care about hearing Metallica.”
By mid-afternoon, signs and welcome banners were already sprouting up all over the city. And at city hall, Dumas hoisted a large skull and crossbones flag in front of the building to welcome Metallica to town.
Meanwhile, Mason plans to construct an Olympic-sized, cowboy-hat-shaped swimming pool for the Brooks after party.
“We’re gonna fire up the pina colada machines and let the thunder roll!” Mason shouted. “Let the party begin!”
Since before Memorial Day things have been so busy that no one has had spare time to blog. And, unfortunately, that is the only time we get to blog is in our spare time. We still have a newspaper to print. Anyway, some of our staff members, myself included, have also been ill. This has greatly contributed to our lack of posts as well.
Just know that we will be back in full form soon, hopefully.
How long do you think it will be before we see $4 per gallon in South Arkansas? Soon, my friend, very soon.
The Junction City forum on the web site “Topix” — just Google it, because we don’t want to link to such trash here on Between Editions — has crossed the line.
Folks on there are spouting such utter bunk that I can no longer ignore it.
A gentleman inquired about El Dorado on the forum and asked members if there were any wrestling teams in our area — his son is on a team in Texas.
Many on the site responded with uneducated, hate-filled remarks about the man’s son. Some even went so far as to suggest that the boy might be a homosexual because he likes to wrestle.
These are the same people who are spreading lewd comments about those running for certain offices here in the county.
To these people I say this: It is so unfortunate that you are allowed to express your ignorant views on the Internet. You are not only doing harm to yourselves, but to our community as a whole.
What do you hope to accomplish by talking like a fifth grader who has just learned new words from a bathroom stall? Respond to that, dear Topix bloggers.
Top news stories Local weather