Holiday
open House Carols, Cookies and Family Fun! sunday, december 4, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Free admission
Hours: 9 am–5 pm, Monday–Saturday; 1 pm–5 pm, Sunday The Old State House Museum is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
Come join us for happy hour drink and appetizer speCials! 5:00-6:30 pm
best ste a k 2005-201 1 fr ee valet parki n g • pi an o bar tu e s - s at 33 5 wine sele Ct i on s • fi n e spi ri t s from a r o u n d th e w o r l d inq uir e about our pri vat e C orpor ate l u n Ch e s
5 0 0 p r es id ent Cli nton avenue ( i n the r i ver m arke t d i st ri Ct ) Ca ll fo r res ervati ons 501.324.2999 • www.sonn yw i l l i am sst e akroom .C om 10 NOVEMBER 30, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES
W O RDS
Sustaining the hoit This week’s guest host is Max Brantley: “From the Arkansas Times: ‘In addition to using small-scale, local suppliers — all of their meats are sourced locally, and a large percentage of their vegetables and cheeses are grown and produced in the region — they also took a sustainable approach to financing.’ “ ‘Sourced.’ I hate that trendy word. Why not ‘grown’ or ‘produced,’ as in the next clause? “It’s all over food writing nowadays. Along with that other word I hate, ‘curate.’ Now you don’t merely curate art collections. You also curate dinner menus. Which sounds a lot more knowledgeable and hoity-toity than select, devise, draw up, pick, choose. “And ‘sustainable.’ I know that it’s somehow a ‘green’ concept word in high fashion these days. But sustainable financing? I presume that means your income matches or exceeds your outgo. “And, BTW (not to be confused with BBW or BLT, the former of which you can become by eating too many of the latter), does anybody say hoity-toity anymore?” I had to respond to Max’s presentation with a question of my own: What is BBW? “Big Beautiful Women,” he explained. “There’s a magazine
of that name that features ‘plussize’ clothing.” As to whether anybody says hoity-toity anymore, I think I DOUG SMITH remember that dougsmith@arktimes.com a few years back, a writer for a local newspaper described a certain restaurant as hoity-toity. And I think I agreed,with the assessment, but the restaurant only quoted the description in one of its own ads, rather proudly, and continued to hoit and toit. Eventually it went out of business, but I don’t know how much the HT factor had to do with that. Coincidentally, I just came across a definition of “sustainability” in “Books and Letters,” the newsletter of the University of Arkansas Libraries: “A new field of study that involves long term stewardship of resources, the complex attempt to create conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony that fulfills the requirements of present and future generations.” The same issue announced that “Books and Letters” is ceasing publication, to be replaced by a new newsletter. The new guy will be called “Quiddity.” Woo pig, hoity.
WEEK THAT WAS
It was a good week for…
It was a bad week for…
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION. Judge Wendell Griffen ordered the Little Rock police department to turn over “use of force” documents concerning Lt. David Hudson. Hudson was filmed on video while working as a private security guard at Ferneau restaurant. He repeatedly hit a customer, Chris Erwin, in the face. The city earlier had contended it had provided Erwin’s lawyer all it was required to provide under the Freedom of Information Act. According to Griffen’s order, Hudson has prepared such reports four times, including in the beating of Erwin.
THE ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS. After climbing to number 3 in the BCS standings, a position that afforded a window into the national championship game, the football Hogs were beaten soundly by LSU in Baton Rouge, 41-17. To add insult to injury, CBS cameras caught Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino cursing at LSU coach Les Miles for, presumably, running up the score. Petrino’s frustration was understandable, though it doesn’t excuse his behavior.
PULASKI COUNTY EMPLOYEES. They’re due cost of living increases up to 5 percent. The increases will correspond to employees’ longevity.
GEESE. The North Little Rock City Council passed an ordinance to allow shooting Canada geese in Burns Park, where their excrement has become a nuisance on the golf course and soccer fields, on three days, Dec. 20-22.